Defence Cabinet secretary Aden Duale has praised President William Ruto for his strong belief of uniting the country.
Speaking on Wednesday during a TV interview, he opened up about his relationship with the President.
“President Ruto is a wonderful man. I have worked with him for more than 20 years. He is a very honest man who believes in the unity of the country,” Duale said.
Referring to Ruto as his good buddy, the CS said the president is a workaholic who solves problems.
“Ruto is a workaholic and he solves problems. He is my good buddy,” Duale added.
The former Garissa Township MP is one of Ruto’s close ally with their relationship dating back to before the Jubilee government in 2013.
Duale and Ruto who were ODM rebels left the Raila Odinga led party and formed the United Republican Party, which entered into a coalition agreement with The National Alliance to form Jubilee.
Duale who was also very close with retired president Uhuru Kenyatta said his friendship with Ruto was put to task, when Uhuru started being uncomfortable with his decision to oppose the Building Bridges Initiative.
The CS said Uhuru took issue with his affiliation with Ruto's Tanga Tanga camp that was critical of the Uhuru's attempt to amend the Constitution through BBI.
Duale said the Jubilee party leader frankly asked him to pick a side, noting that he had split his loyalty and had to decide between him and Ruto who was then the deputy president.
"So I said I cannot coalesce around a group that wants to humiliate, demean and despise the character and the stature of the office of the Deputy President," he said.
"I told him, I am ready to go. Let me relinquish myself as the leader of majority and look for somebody else."
Duale said he became the leader of majority courtesy of URP, as a founding member.
"I said I am a Muslim. All of Ruto's political life, he has done good deeds for me and my family. I cannot be part and parcel of a group that blend around you,” he said.
On June 22, 2020 , Duale was removed as Majority Leader of the National Assembly during a Jubilee Coalition Parliamentary Group meeting chaired by Uhuru.
