Duale dismisses Gachagua's new party, calls it a tribal outfit

Health CS Aden Duale before the National Assembly's Health committee to consider Budget Estimates FY 2025/26 at Parliament buildings, Nairobi. May 14th,2025. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Saturday, May 17, criticised former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's new party, labeling it an attempt to divide the country.

Speaking during a cultural festival in Garissa, the CS asserted that President William Ruto's only "crime" is his commitment to unifying Kenya and ensuring equitable development across all communities.

"We are seeing people forming ethnic-based parties to balkanize and divide our people. Today we have people of different ethnic groups performing here, and that is the Kenya we want," he noted.

Adding that: "The President is uniting the people of Kenya by dividing development so that we have one indivisible nation, no matter where you are coming from."

His remarks follow the unveiling of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who has maintained that he will challenge Ruto's Presidency come 2027.

However, according to Duale, though many will try to unseat him, Ruto is 'guaranteed' of overwhelming votes from the pastoral communities in 14 counties come 2027. Adding that while individual candidates would compete for seats, they would unite to secure Ruto's presidency.

Duale further dismissed the notion that pastoralists lacked significant numbers, asserting that the region boasts the largest population in the Horn of Africa.