Why the nomination of Duale as Defense CS was bound to raise queries?
The Mt Kenya Times 
Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale
By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- As the majority leader in the National Assembly, he earned a tag of being untouchable because the government always turned deaf ear to his highly controversial statements and remarks, some which bordered on a threat to national security.
- When the suspected Al-shabaab militants attacked quarry workers in Mandera and killed a number of them, he was reported as saying he knew the militants behind this heinous act and promised to name them in the next few days.
- This did not come to pass and while bearing in mind the poor young people killed hailed from Kieni constituency, Nyeri County, this did not go down well with the Kieni MP Kanini Kega.
As a political observer, I have been monitoring Dr William Ruto’s undertakings since he was sworn-in as fifth president of republic of Kenya. So far, he has made good progress in laying the foundation for the fulfillment of a raft of pledges he made to Kenyans during the campaigns.
Allow me, however, to say this. Upon perusing the list of his nominees for cabinet secretary positions, the nomination of Garrissa MP Aden Duale as national defense nominee drew my attention.
Why? The history of Duale is well known regarding his comments touching on activities of Somali based terror group, the Al-Shabaab.
During the first term of Uhuru Kenyatta presidency, he was one of the most powerful state operative.
As the majority leader in the National Assembly, he earned a tag of being untouchable because the government always turned deaf ear to his highly controversial statements and remarks, some which bordered on a threat to national security.
When the suspected Al-shabaab militants attacked quarry workers in Mandera and killed a number of them, he was reported as saying he knew the militants behind this heinous act and promised to name them in the next few days.
This did not come to pass and while bearing in mind the poor young people killed hailed from Kieni constituency, Nyeri County, this did not go down well with the Kieni MP Kanini Kega.
The government should not let Duale off the hook. He promised to name the killers. We want to know them. He should help the police in the investigations so that the culprits can face force of law, the MP insisted. However, his demands fell on deaf ear.
In the meantime, the suspected Al Shabaan militants continued to carry deadly attacks on Kenyan soil. The attack on Garrissa University College shocked the world. Some 147 students were reportedly killed and this happened at the heart of Garrissa constituency which is represented by Duale.
In the second term of Uhuru presidency, Duale fell out with his administration. The handshake between the President and his partner Raila Odinga was his bone of contention.
He joined political forces pushing the agenda of Deputy President William Ruto to succeed his boss. Again, during this period no one bothered to revisit Duale’s unfulfilled promises of helping the Kenyan authorities to crush and annihilate the militants.
For now, Duale and other CS nominees are waiting for parliament to vet them and approve those who will pass the tests of integrity and good leadership. I’m sure the issues in this article will be raised by MPs opposed to him.
For the President Ruto, he did not compile the list of nominees alone. I would not, therefore, expect anyone to blame him.
For Duale, many believe he could have been under pressure to nominate him because of two reasons. First, he was one of his diehard supporter and campaigner.
Secondly, the position of Cabinet Secretary for Defense was being held by a person from his region, the late Yusuf Haji. Well, for now, the President will wait for parliament to do its job.
As I conclude, allow me to go back to the memory lane. The first question to pose is. When and how the Somali militants did enter Kenya? Well, many believe this was during the reign of Grand Coalition Government led by President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The duo had shared the cabinet slots on 50-50.
The late Otieno Ojwang, who was then minister for immigration, is reported to have cleared the way for them. This is through issuing orders and arm-twisting uncooperative immigration officials to issue them with passports and work permits.
In return, Kajwang reportedly raked in billions of shillings from them. Media reports indicated they were in two categories; recruited and trained militants and Somali billionaires who sponsored their activities.
In Kenya, the suspected terrorists established their bases in Eastliegh and other strategic parts in Nairobi and other major towns.
I’m sure the new government of Kenya is privy to this history. For Dr Ruto, matters of security of all Kenyans supersede everything else. They are at the core of his heart and hence not negotiate able.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political commentator based in Nairobi
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