Former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung'u has accused President William Ruto of exerting excessive influence over state institutions, saying fear has made some public officials reluctant to challenge those in power.

Ndung'u made the remarks during a conference in Sweden, where he spoke about Kenya's financial sector, the role of foreign aid and the country's wider economic development.

The former Central Bank of Kenya governor said he was willing to have his comments made public. He also said he had refused to take part in what he described as improper deals while serving at the Treasury.

"Right now, the current president overruns all the institutions, and that is why everybody in those institutions will have to conform for fear," Ndung'u said.

"But I refuse to do deals in the Ministry of Finance. I can't do deals. I know it follows you to your grave."

Ndung'u argued that strong institutions depend not only on laws and regulations but also on individuals who are willing to defend their independence.

He said public officials who compromise their responsibilities can face consequences long after leaving office. According to him, some people associated with past governments have continued to face investigations and legal proceedings years after their time in power.

"It becomes a major punishment," he said. "Only capacity at the individual level and institutional level can give you that courage to say no because you know it will follow you."

His comments come amid continued debate in Kenya over the independence of public institutions and the relationship between the Executive and state agencies.

Ndung'u served as Treasury Cabinet Secretary under President Ruto from October 2022 until July 2024. Before that, he was governor of the Central Bank of Kenya from 2007 to 2015.

During his time at the central bank, Ndung'u also recalled an earlier dispute over the development of M-Pesa. He said a former finance minister had sought to stop the mobile money service, but he defended the central bank's authority to regulate the financial sector independently.

The remarks in Sweden are among Ndung'u's strongest public criticisms of the current administration since leaving office.

President Ruto and his administration have not, in the material provided, publicly responded to Ndung'u's specific allegations that the Executive has overridden institutions or created a climate of fear among Cabinet secretaries.

Ndung'u's comments therefore remain his own assessment of the state of Kenya's public institutions. The wider debate over institutional independence, however, continues to be a central issue in the country's political and economic life.