Aden Duale sacked as Majority Leader of Kenya's National Assembly in latest purge

NAIROBI, Kenya - Firebrand Garissa Town MP and arguably the senior-most Somali leader in Kenya's National Assembly, was on Monday replaced as Majority Leader, a seat which he has been holding for the last seven years, which saw him become one of fiercest defender of government agenda in parliament.

His replacement was a culmination of radical purge within the ruling Jubilee party, a move which saw President Uhuru Kenyatta engineer removal from house leadership, dozens of MPs [both in Senate and National Assembly], who are perceived to be close supporters of Deputy President William Ruto.

"I came, I saw and I conquered. Today marks the end of my seven years of service to the great people of Kenya as the Leader of Majority of the National Assembly. I was the first occupant of the seat under article 108 of the constitution," Daule tweeted. 

Since 2018 after Uhuru reconciled with his political nemesis cum ally, Raila Odinga, the relationship of Uhuru and Ruto has fairly dwindled, further triggering the changes by the Head of State. Ruto has, however, not publicly complained, but his allies have been sending coded messages to the public.

The changes saw Duale replaced by Amos Kimunya, a former minister and a close ally of the president. He will now be the de facto leader of government business in parliament. During the meeting which saw 174 MPs and DP Ruto attend within the legendary Kenyatta International Conference Center [KICC], journalists were not given access, but it took only 20 minutes.

In a communication made by the State House team, Duale's replacement was announced. Uhuru, who was sighted in the company of several MPs after the meeting, refused to take questions from reporters, only insisting that "we need security and peace, we shall deal with other issues later".

Dr. Ruto, who is keen to succeed him, accompanied him to his official vehicle before taking off. Duale, who is serving his third term as an MP, was present during the meeting, and his removal had been hinted by senior politicians close to the president.

While thanking Uhuru for his appointment, Kimunya, who represents Kipipiri constituency in Uhuru's backyard, hailed Duale for showing firm leadership throughout his tenure, adding that he's ready to take the mantle and drive the government agenda.

"I promise to give my best in my new position as National Assembly Majority Leader. To my predecessor Aden Duale I will continue with the good job you started,” he said.

His elevation also paved the way to changes in the Jubilee party, which saw him relinquish Parliamentary Group [PG] Secretary-General post, which will now be occupied by Aldas MP, Adan Keynan, who hails from Wajir. His appointment is seen as a strategy to quell possible complaints from northeastern Kenya following Duale's sacking.

“Politics is so dynamic. But ours is to ensure that the Jubilee agenda in the House succeeds by working with the leadership, the MPs and the party members,” said Keynan, who now becomes the senior-most Jubilee MP in terms of a portfolio from Northern Frontier Districts.

Duale's removal has elicited mixed reactions from among Kenyans, with his traditional rival, Farah Maalim, chiding him after the removal, adding that "The National Assembly will redeem its lost glory. In short eight years, Parliament lost its glory. Redeem it's glory now."

Maalim, now a law scholar, lost his Lagdera parliamentary seat in 2007 to Duale during the hotly contested polls. In 2017, he lost to Duale again in Garissa Town, a move that saw him petition the results in the court but ended up losing again.

"Amos Kimunya has been serving in HBC, so he's got the experience. For Hon. Aden Duale, you served well, everything with a beginning definitely has an end," added Ben Momanyi, a Kenyan MP, who serves in the Parliamentary Service Commission.

"Hon. Aden Duale National assembly majority Leader fired and Garissa Town Mp fired it's evident now Jubilee party has been taken hostage by blackmail, division, and intimidation," Senator Samson Cherargei, a close ally of Dr. Ruto, said in a tweet.

Activist Boniface Mwangi, who has been at loggerheads with President Uhuru Kenyatta, raised reservations for appointments of both Kimunya and Keynan, citing their integrity issues, based on previous trials in court.

"President Uhuru Kenyatta selection of Kimunya and Adan Keynan is very telling. Adan has faced murder charges and Kimunya was charged with corruption. Those two will play dirty politics as they spearhead change the constitution movement. Expect bribery, blackmail, and even murder," noted.

Several other House Committee chairs leaning towards Ruto have lost their posts, and State House said that the positions will be filled in the coming weeks. Uhuru insists that the changes are meant to "improve the functioning of the government operations".

Duale has closely worked with Dr. Ruto, who now appears to have fallen out of favor with State House, since his entry to Parliament in 2007. The two were members of the Orange Democratic Movement party, before defecting to defunct United Republican Party, which folded to pave way for Jubilee in 2017.

Before his ouster, senior leaders from the North-Eastern region had tried to save him from the onslaught. His replacement could tilt the voting patterns in NFDs given his networks among Somalis, who view him as their de facto leader for almost a decade now.

The promotion of Adan Keynan is seen as a strategy to calm the NFD, which comprises close to 2.7 million people based on the 2019 population census. Somalis have been playing an integral role in Kenya's fragile competitive politics.

On his Twitter, Duale has since thanked Uhuru and Ruto for giving him a chance to serve as the first Majority Leader under the new constitution, saying: "This was not an easy task but one which required that I work with everyone, be it for or friend and in the end and with the help of Allah, I delivered."

"But like I have said before, public positions are not to be personalized. When you are given a position you do your best and when the time comes for you to leave, you leave with a smile," he added in a series of tweets.

GAROWE ONLINE