Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has been a close ally of President William Ruto throughout his political career.
Before joining politics, the Health CS began his professional career in the early 90’s as a teacher at Sankuri Secondary School.
However, he quit barely a year into his teaching job and started working as a clerical officer at the Provincial Commissioner’s office in Garissa.
Six months later, he quit the job due to what he termed as poor payment. Thereafter, he joined the family business.
From 1999 to 2003, he worked as a director at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).
Later, he joined politics in 2007 and was allied to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.
Duale’s political alliance with the current President began in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) during the 2007 general election, when Duale vied for the Dujis MP seat and Ruto contested for the Eldoret North MP position.
“We met in ODM. We became victims of Baba (Raila Odinga), and I think we discovered that we share more in common than differences. William Ruto—he keeps friends, respects friends, and is very consultative in decision-making,” Duale said in a past interview.
Both politicians were elected to the 10th Parliament (2008–2013). At the time, Duale was serving as a first-time MP. Both were vocal defenders of ODM and went on to become part of the Grand-Coalition government formed after the 2008 election dispute.
The Political Journey of Duale
Within ODM, the duo would later emerge as rebels due to their disagreement with certain political issues raised by party leader Raila Odinga, which culminated in their walkout.
In 2011, Duale followed Ruto to co-found the United Republican Party (URP). Ahead of the 2013 election, URP formed a coalition with Uhuru Kenyatta’s TNA, with Ruto as Uhuru’s running mate.
Duale’s loyalty to Ruto positioned him in Uhuru’s inner circle, where he was appointed the first Majority Leader in the National Assembly under the Jubilee Alliance. In this role, he mobilized MPs, pushed government bills, and defended the administration on contentious issues, including lobbying Jubilee MPs to frame the ICC cases against Uhuru and Ruto as biased and politically motivated.
Also Read: Duale Stops Salaries of 215 UHC Staff with Immediate Effect
However, the 2018 handshake between Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta shifted the political landscape. In 2020, Duale was removed as Majority Leader and replaced by Kipipiri MP Amos Kimunya, largely due to his close ties with then Deputy President Ruto.
Duale later became a co-founder of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), the party that propelled Ruto to the presidency in 2022, and he retained his seat as Garissa Township MP.
Upon assuming office as President, Ruto nominated Aden Duale as the Cabinet Secretary for Defence, a position that was later approved by the National Assembly.
After the Gen Z protests witnessed in 2024, President William Ruto decided to disband his Cabinet. Despite public pressure not to retain the same Cabinet Secretaries who were accused of underperforming, Ruto still retained Aden Duale but transferred him to the Environment docket.
Ruto Explains Why He Always Counts on Health CS
Although the Constitution does not require civil servants to refrain from politics, Duale has been openly championing Ruto’s policies and criticizing his opponents through TV and radio interviews as well as in empowerment programs.
On March 26, 2025, Aden Duale was appointed as the Cabinet Secretary for Health by President Ruto. In this ministry, he has faced calls for resignation following the questions surrounding SHA, where ghost hospitals were found to have received payments. Despite mounting pressure for him to resign or for the President to dismiss him, Ruto has continued to stand by him.
Also Read: Duale Announces Changes to Overseas Treatment for SHA Patients
In May 2023, during the launch of Duale’s book For the Record, President Ruto paid tribute to him, describing him as a loyal friend. He said that Duale, being one of his closest allies, was someone he could always count on.
“I’m truly proud to be your friend. You have taught me loyalty. You have learned from me, and we have all grown together as friends,” Ruto said.
While stressing the importance of loyalty, the Head of State expressed hope that younger politicians would learn from their example that loyalty is rewarded.
“Loyalty has paid for me, and it has paid for Duale. It is good to be genuine in friendship, loyal to friends, and to speak your mind when things go wrong,” Ruto added.
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