President William Ruto has removed the controversial Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale from the Ministry of Defence.
In a move that surprised many legislators yesterday, Ruto reassigned Duale to the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry without offering any explanations.
Soipan Tuya is now set to be vetted for the Defence position. Notably, Ruto’s memorandum, which was read by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, only included a list of 10 names for the House to consider, omitting the nominee for Attorney General, Rebecca Miano. This is despite Ruto having initially nominated 11 Cabinet members last week, a move he described as part of a strategy to allow some flexibility before finalizing what he called a broadly representative government.
The exclusion of Miano’s name from the vetting list has sparked speculation and questions.
Rebecca Miano, a corporate lawyer, was nominated after Justin Muturi was dismissed. Seven individuals have challenged Muturi’s removal in court.
Wetang’ula also outlined the vetting process, stating: “The committee responsible for these nominations will review the matter and present a report to the House within 28 days.”
Controversy arose following Duale’s new appointment to the Defence position when Somalia’s Ministry of Defence congratulated him. The Ministry posted on X: “MoD extends congratulations to Hon Duale on his re-appointment as Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Defence. KDF is a valued partner in our joint fight against terrorism. We look forward to strengthening the longstanding ties between the two nations.”
In response to the congratulatory message, lawyer Donald Kipkorir questioned Duale’s connection with Somalia, asking: “When Duale was reappointed as Minister for Defence, Somalia’s Defence Minister tweeted congratulations immediately! Now that Duale has been reassigned to the Ministry of Environment, Somalia’s Environment Minister has tweeted congratulations too! What is it that they want with our Duale?”
Duale addressed his new role by quoting Quran 2:216: “Indeed, ‘And it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows, but you do not know.'”
He added, “I look forward to serving in my new portfolio and focusing on sustainable environmental management, combating climate change, and promoting reforestation and conservation efforts.”
Meanwhile, Seme MP Moses Nyikal warned that the President’s actions could erode public trust in the vetting process. “What the President announced is clearly different from what you (Speaker) have read to us. This discrepancy could lead to a loss of public confidence in what we’re doing, unless the President himself comes to explain the changes,” he said.
Wetang’ula, however, downplayed the situation, stating, “The President has the authority to change his mind at any time. What matters is the record presented to this House in the form of a memorandum.”
National Assembly Minority Whip Junet Mohammed acknowledged the changes but emphasized that vetting would be rigorous this time. “I want to assure members that vetting these CSs will not be business as usual. If someone is not suitable, capable, or does not have the capacity, they will be rejected,” he said.
Regarding the five Cabinet secretaries who had been re-nominated—Duale, Tuya, Kithure Kindiki (Interior), Davis Chirchir (Roads), and Alice Wahome (Lands)—Suna East MP Mohammed promised a thorough examination of their net worth, warning that failure to account properly would lead to exposure.
William Kamket (Tiaty) defended the nominees, arguing that they should not be threatened as no one is perfect.
Peter Kaluma (Homa Bay Town) criticized the President for not including a nominee from Luo Nyanza. “Last week, we in ODM resolved to support the government… The law requires the public service to reflect Kenya’s diversity. All ethnic communities should be represented. As a member of an ethnic community, I cannot accept a situation where it seems everyone is in the government except Luos, who also pay taxes,” Kaluma said.
He added, “I want to congratulate the President for the appointments but request that, by tomorrow (today) at the latest, we see the additional appointments that Baba (Raila) was expected to forward. We cannot exclude anyone.”