When Moses Kuria walked away from President William Ruto’s inner circle, speculation ran wild. Was he pushed out or did he leave on his own? This week, the former Cabinet Secretary put the record straight.
“I was not fired and I was not asked to resign,” Kuria told Citizen TV on Tuesday night. “The President actually regretted the fact that I resigned. He told me, ‘It is your decision, but it is unfortunate.’”
Kuria, who had been serving as Ruto’s Senior Economic Advisor, said the decision weighed heavily on him. The breaking point, he revealed, came after the Saba Saba protests on 7 July, which left dozens dead and hundreds injured.
“I resigned one day after Saba Saba,” he said quietly. “I resigned because Saba Saba shattered me totally. I was out of the country and I was on my way back.”
By the time he sat down with President Ruto on 8 July, Kuria had already made up his mind. “I told the President, ‘It is hazy right now and I feel I need to have my head out there and be able to look at things more clearly, and be neutral in this conversation, so that the truth can come out.’”
The demonstrations, which spread to at least 20 counties, became one of the deadliest in Kenya’s recent history. Amnesty International reported that at least 38 people were killed, while more than 500 civilians and police officers were injured. The economic losses were estimated at KSh1.1 billion (around $14 million).
Fatalities were recorded across the country, including Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Kisumu, Nakuru, Nyeri, and Meru. Rights groups accused security agencies of excessive force, while the government insisted it was dealing with “violent unrest.”
Kuria’s resignation adds to the political fallout from those events, which continue to cast a long shadow over Ruto’s administration. For the former minister, the choice was about conscience. “I needed to step aside,” he said. “I needed clarity.”
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