CS Duale hails Ruto’s reforms, urges Northeastern residents to “pay back” through votes

Health CS Aden Duale in Wajir on November 16, 2025./STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Health CS Aden Duale on Sunday said that residents of the North Eastern region and the entire Muslim community are not taking for granted the initiatives President William Ruto has implemented since assuming office, promising to “pay back” through the ballot.

He said the community will overwhelmingly support Ruto’s re-election in the 2027 polls.

Speaking in Wajir town during the historic coronation of Sultan Abdirahman Sultan Hussein, where he was the chief guest, Duale praised the President for what he described as a historic policy shift that has eased access to identification documents for residents of Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, and other parts of the country.

Duale said that for many years, communities along border areas had faced endless bureaucracies, suspicion, discrimination, frustrations, unnecessary vetting, and prolonged delays in acquiring fundamental documents, portraying them as second-class citizens under successive governments.

Health CS Aden Duale with Eldas MP Adan Keynan and other leaders in Wajir on November 16, 2025./STEPHEN ASTARIKO

In February, President William Ruto signed a decree eliminating vetting requirements for residents of Northeastern Kenya applying for national identification documents.

Before the decree, certain Kenyans from specific regions, ethnic groups, or religious backgrounds had to undergo additional scrutiny, appear before vetting committees, provide extra documentation, and meet extra conditions.

Duale said the policy shift demonstrates the government’s commitment to improving the lives of marginalised people, fostering a stronger and more united Kenya.

“Mr. President, your administration is the first one that has listened to the cries of our people and acted decisively. You brought back our dignity to the people of North Eastern Kenya, the wider Muslim community, and all Kenyans by ending a discriminatory system that made us feel like second-class citizens,” Duale said.

Accompanied by several political leaders, the CS urged residents to seize the ongoing voter registration exercise by the IEBC and register in large numbers, noting that increased voter registration will strengthen the region’s voice in national politics.

“It is for this reason that we are telling our people to register en masse so that we can pay back for the dignity you brought back to our communities as Muslims and as the Somali community,” he added.

Duale also hit out at President Ruto’s critics, emphasising that the administration’s agenda to move Kenya from a third-world to a first-world nation remains on course.

He highlighted ongoing infrastructure projects, affordable housing, universal healthcare, progress in agriculture, job creation, and the new education model as initiatives transforming Kenyans’ lives.

“Those opposing the president are doing so for the sake of it. They don’t have an agenda or manifesto. Kenyans, however, have decided to stand with President Ruto’s government, which means well for them,” he said.

He also called on residents who have not yet registered under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) to do so, noting that Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is not just a moral imperative but a strategic investment in the nation’s health and future.