Deputy President William Ruto has commended former Majority Leader in the National Assembly Aden Duale for his contribution in Parliament moments after he was ousted from the position.
“My brother Aden Duale, you are a great leader. For the last 8 yrs, you discharged your responsibilities as our party’s 1st majority leader with style, precision, passion and loyalty. My friend, when parliamentary history is written you will have a chapter. Mbele iko sawa na Mungu,” DP William Ruto tweeted soon after the Jubilee Parliamentary Group meeting at KICC on Monday.
Duale was replaced by Kipipiri MP and former Cabinet minister Amos Kimunya.
In the new changes to the Jubilee leadership in the National Assembly, Kangema MP Muturi Kigano will be chairman Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee, while his Kieni counterpart Kanini Kega will chair Budget Committee, replacing Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichungwa, an ally of Ruto.
Eldas MP Adan Keynan will serve as the Jubilee Coalition Secretary, a position previously held by Kimunya.
The ruling party is in a coalition with Kanu, and has also signed a cooperation agreement with Wiper and CCM parties.
Duale is a close Ruto ally and was among the founder members of DP’s URP party, which merged with TNA in 2013 to form the Jubilee Coalition that formed the government.
It later merged with other 11 parties to form the Jubilee Party in 2017.
Ruto and Duale had been fired by Raila Odinga from the Government of National Unity, causing them to walk out of ODM.
Duale has also not shied away from defending the Deputy President and endorsing his 2022 presidential ambitions.
During the BBI launch in November last ear in Bomas, Duale accused individuals close to the President, including civil servants, of sabotaging and attacking Ruto.
MPs across the political divide, however, agree that Duale has delivered for the government, and probably only became a victim of the Jubilee purge because of his closeness to the DP and his position on the BBI.
Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu, an ally of Uhuru, says Duale’s position on the BBI cast aspersions on the President.
He said Duale does not believe in the BBI, which is a project by Uhuru.
“A few weeks ago National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale publicly stated that President Kenyatta is being deceitful with ODM leader Raila Odinga in the BBI process, and that at an opportune time the President will throw Raila under the bus, to help Ruto. He has never refuted this very serious and baseless allegation,” Ngunjiri said.
He thus said the party cannot have a leader who casts aspersions on the integrity of the President in Parliament.
Duale n his exit speech, however, noted that he had delivered for the President
“I am glad that from 2013-2020 I was able to process the agenda of the Majority Party effectively. In particular, I oversaw the passage of over 200 Bills and 500 Motions to mention but a few,” Duale said.
