Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has slammed former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s new party, saying it meant to divide the country.
The former Deputy President unveiled his new political party on Thursday last week, looking to increase his influence in the country's politics ahead of the next elections in 2027.
Gachagua was named as the party leader of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), marking his public divorce with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), which nominated him as President William Ruto's running mate in the last elections.
Speaking during a cultural festival in Garissa, Duale said the only crime President William Ruto is being accused of is saying Kenya will be one and all communities will be treated fairly and equally with distributed development across the country.
Duale said pastoral communities in 14 counties will overwhelmingly vote for William Ruto in the coming general elections, adding that people garnering votes will fight for the seats but ensure Ruto will be the next president.
“We are seeing people forming ethnic based parties to divide our people. Today we have people of different ethnic performing here and that is the Kenya we want,” he noted.
The CS said it’s the first time since independence that a tarmacked road from Isiolo to Mandera has been initiated, adding that previous presidents had completely ignored the region.
“Ruto is the only President who spent a night in Mandera, today youths are getting IDs without them being asked any question, we have got independence with this government,” Duale said.
Duale who said he speaks for pastoralists and the Muslim community, noted that aspirants will face off against each other for other seats but will overwhelmingly vote for Ruto in the elections.
Duale downplayed the notion that pastoralists do not have numbers, saying it’s the region with the biggest number in the Horn of Africa.
The CS told off Gachagua over what he termed as continuous attacks on Ruto, adding that he should stop insulting the
head of state.
Duale disparaged the opposition leaders, insinuating
that they all come from one region.
“The President is uniting the people of Kenya, dividing the
development so that we have one indivisible nation where religion and the county you come from doesn’t matter,” he added.
The cultural festival, which was the first of its kind, was
organised by Garissa Governor Nathif Jama and attended by Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi Issa Timami of Lamu.
Other leaders include Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, Godfrey Osotsi, among others.
