By GPC News Desk
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has accused retired President Uhuru Kenyatta of opposing President William Ruto out of personal interests, as political debate over the 2027 General Election intensifies.
Duale said Mr Kenyatta should not seek to influence the outcome of the 2027 election, arguing that no region or community has exclusive claim to Kenya’s presidency.
Also Read
“You are just a self-centred person, and that is why you fight Ruto,” Duale said, addressing the former President.
The CS spoke on Saturday during the closing ceremony of the eighth Ura Gate Cultural Festival in Tharaka Constituency, where he also backed Deputy President Kithure Kindiki’s continued role as Ruto’s running mate in 2027 and his future presidential ambitions.
Duale said Mt Kenya West had already produced three presidents and should therefore not regard itself as more entitled than other regions to determine who leads the country.
He said Kenya belonged to all its citizens and that no community should claim ownership of the presidency or dictate who should succeed Ruto.
Duale said he was confident Ruto would win the 2027 election and that Kindiki would remain his running mate before eventually succeeding him as President.
“I have worked with several Presidents and have been involved in national politics for many years. I am sure President Ruto will win the 2027 elections,” he said.
He said Kenya’s political history demonstrated that leaders from relatively small communities could rise to the presidency, citing retired President Daniel arap Moi and Ruto.
Duale also defended Kindiki against arguments based on his community background, saying the Deputy President should be judged by his leadership record and national role rather than the size of his community.
“The time has come for Mt Kenya East to own Kindiki and show the rest of the country that he should be respected,” he said.
He said Kindiki would require support from communities across Kenya to succeed Ruto and announced that he would take a leading role in campaigning for the Deputy President’s presidential bid after the 2027 election.
Duale also defended the Ruto administration’s record, citing healthcare, affordable housing, education and economic reforms as areas where he said the government had made progress.
He criticised Kenyatta’s involvement in opposition politics, arguing that the former President had been unable to help the opposition win the 2022 election and would therefore not determine the outcome of the 2027 contest.
Duale further revisited the 2022 United Democratic Alliance (UDA) running-mate selection, claiming that most delegates had initially favoured Kindiki but that then-Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua exerted political pressure, including through demonstrations in his Nyeri backyard.
Alliances of communities
Tharaka-Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki said the county’s immediate national political focus was to ensure that Kindiki retains the Deputy Presidency in 2027, even as politicians continue to pursue local political interests.
Njuki rejected claims that Mt Kenya is opposed to Ruto, saying Mt Kenya East and Mt Kenya West were united.
He referred to a gathering at Kirigiti Stadium in Kiambu County, saying the position had also been affirmed by Kikuyu elders. Recent reports have similarly highlighted calls for Mt Kenya East and West to work together politically.
The governor described Kindiki as the spokesperson of the Mt Kenya region, saying elders representing communities from across the region had installed him in that position.
Njuki said the eighth edition of the Ura Gate Cultural Festival was the biggest since its inception and would be his last as governor.
He said 38 traditional dancing groups and several exhibitors participated in the festival, with an estimated 10,000 people attending daily from Wednesday.
The festival, which ran from September 16 to 19, brought together communities to celebrate heritage while highlighting links between culture, wildlife conservation and sustainable economic activity.
Njuki commended politicians who attended the festival, saying their participation demonstrated that cultural events could bring leaders together despite their political differences.
The festival was opened by Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot and closed by Duale.
Duale also praised Tharaka-Nithi for its performance in Social Health Authority registration, saying the county ranked sixth nationally.
