He was the Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Commission for East African Co-operation from 1996.
Francis Kirimi Muthaura (born 20 October 1946 in Meru, Kenya) is a Kenyan former civil servant and close ally of former President Mwai Kibaki. He is the former Head of Civil Service and Secretary to the Cabinet.[1]
Muthaura had a long career in the Civil Service. After leaving the University of Nairobi in 1972, he was appointed the District Commissioner of Mombasa District, a position he held until 1973. He was then appointed an Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[5]
In March 2008, following an agreement between the government and opposition to establish a coalition government to end a political crisis, Muthaura stirred controversy by saying that Kibaki would remain both head of state and head of government. This interpretation of the agreement would mean less power than the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) had anticipated for its leader, Raila Odinga, who was expected to become Prime Minister under the deal; the ODM angrily rejected Muthaura's interpretation.[7]
Muthaura has been named as an instigator of post-election violence in 2007 – 2008 and was named among six suspects to be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court.[8] He was accused of leading secret meetings in Kibaki's office, where revenge attacks against supporters of Kibaki's opposition were planned. The ICC prosecutor claimed he authorised the use of excessive force against protesters by the police.[9] He was taped by two people posing as students, who claimed he had admitted involvement in post-election violence.[10] On 11 March 2013, the charges against Muthaura were dropped by the ICC following the discrediting of a key witness.[11]
Italics and (*) indicate that a person was convicted by the ICC and that the conviction remains valid; a name in (parentheses) indicates that charges were dropped or a conviction was overturned; † indicates a person deceased before or during trial; (x) after a name indicates that the case was closed by the ICC because of a national-level trial of the accused
