National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale is the most senior government official after President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto. That is why I was shocked when I heard him hit out at the Government over the ongoing war against contraband sugar.
Mr. Duale, who spoke in Parliament during a heated debate on the illegal sugar, promised to name the cartels importing sugar illegally. He also challenged Treasury CS Henry Rotich to disclose the names of the individuals he had awarded licenses to import sugar during the electioneering period last year. Duale’s remarks were a clear indication that indeed Jubilee is no longer one unit.
The cracks that have rocked the Government are also threatening the achievement of the Jubilee manifesto. Duale belongs to the camp that thrives on creating confusion and politicising issues of national importance. It appears he is determined to frustrate efforts to nail those behind the contraband sugar.
If Duale had the best interests of the Kenyan citizens at heart, then I would have expected him to hand the information he claims he has on those involved in this crime to investigating agencies. However, being a politician, Duale knows that politicizing matters of this nature could compromise investigations, making it difficult for the police to apprehend culprits.
It is worth noting that Duale’s remarks came in the wake of reports that he is among those importing contraband sugar, claims he has denied. Could this mean he was diverting attention? As a senior member of the Government, what did he do to stop illegal importation of sugar? And if this started in the run-up to 2017, polls as he claimed, why did he keep quiet until now? This is not the first time Duale has come out guns blazing and promising to expose those endangering the lives of Kenyans.
At the height of Al Shaabab attacks in northeastern Kenya, Duale threatened to name the terror group’s local accomplices. But as it turned out, he was just playing politics - he did not name anyone. In view of the foregoing, many Kenyans feel the much-touted merger of Uhuru’s TNA and Ruto’s URP to form the Jubilee Party was just a smokescreen.
The differences that existed between the two camps are still there. The situation is getting worse because the Uhuru and Ruto camps are pulling in different directions. While President Kenyatta’s team is keen on helping him build a legacy as he heads into retirement, the Ruto camp is obsessed with the 2022 succession politics.
The Standard Group Plc is a
multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper
print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
join