MP Duale in trouble with in-laws over 1982 coup remarks at Too's burial

Jubilee Parliamentary majority leader Aden Duale address the Press at the Party's headquarters to comment on the recent ODM Party leader's Raila Odinga's recent remarks on the IEBC use of technology in 2017poll Nairobi 18/12/16 PHOTO MOSES OMUSULA

The family of retired Chief of General Staff Mahmoud Mohammed has cautioned Garissa Township MP Aden Duale against dragging his name into Jubilee Party (JP) politics.

The family, through former Cabinet minister Hussein Maalim — the general’s younger brother — said yesterday that the statement attributed to Duale during Mark Too’s burial on Monday did not represent their position.

In remarks seen to be directed at Baringo Senator Gideon Moi, Duale is reported to have said:

“Sisi kama jamii ya wafugaji tulimbeba baba yako kwa mgongo kwa miaka mingi. Mimi ule mzee nimeoa msichana wake General Mohammed, alitoa baba yako kwa kichaka 1982 coup (We, the pastoralist community, supported your father [retired President Daniel arap Moi] for many years. I am married to Gen Mohammed’s daughter who saved your father during the 1982 attempted coup).

The retired general played a sterling role in crushing the 1982 coup attempt on Moi’s government.

RECKLESS UTTERANCES

Mr Maalim, who is the chairman of Ewaso Ng’iro North Development Authority, described Duale’s utterances as reckless, saying they should not be associated with the family.

Duale, who is also the Leader of Majority in the National Assembly, is a son-in-law of Gen Mohammed.

The former minister yesterday advised Duale to desist from making “reckless statements that will antagonise the family in the pursuit of cheap politics”.

“The general has retired honourably and his name must not be brought into politics,” said Maalim, adding that Duale’s remarks smacked of disrespect for retired President Moi.

“If he (Duale) has a problem with Gideon (who is also the Kanu chairman), he should deal with him directly without invoking the name of the retired general or the former President,” he said.

Duale’s comments also did not go down well in Isiolo, where Kanu officials warned him against dragging the retired president’s name into campaigns for Jubilee Party.

The officials accused Duale of ridiculing the retired president by bringing up the issue of the attempted coup.

They said Kenyans knew their history well and didn’t need Duale to use Moi’s or Mohammed’s names when drumming up support for Jubilee.

“He (Duale) is free to campaign for Ruto but he should not ridicule the retired president by bragging that the general is his father-in-law, which is a non-issue in politics,” said Hussein Golicha, an aspirant for the Isiolo governor’s seat.

He said the comments demeaned the retired general.

“The general did his duty and the MP should not tell Gideon that he did his father (retired president) a favour,” he said.