I’d take a bullet for Uhuru, Ruto— Duale

The Leader of Majority in Parliament Aden Duale

during a past interview. To him, the Jubilee Government

is God’s miracle, and it is his duty to worship in its shrine,

a duty he said he would execute at all costs. FILE

By JUSTUS WANGA

In Summary

• Mr Duale hinted of the appointment of presidential loser Musalia Mudavadi and former Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa—all from western Kenya.

He has been branded the sycophant-in-chief of President Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto, but he has no apologies for it.

Instead, National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Barre Duale says Kenyans do not really know the extent to which he is indebted to, especially, Mr Ruto. And he sought to illustrate it.

At his posh office on the second floor of Parliament Buildings in Nairobi, looking around as if he is indeed about to jump, he declared that if he were instructed by his party leader to toss himself from the highest point of Kenyatta International Conference Centre, he would gladly do so.

“Since I started this journey with Mr Ruto in 2008, there is nothing he has told me which has not come to pass. If he told me to jump from the top of the KICC and assures me that I will not break my leg, I will jump. I am so much indebted to this man. I can do anything for Ruto and Uhuru under the sun,” he told Saturday Nation in an interview.

To him, the Jubilee Government is God’s miracle, and it is his duty to worship in its shrine, a duty he said he would execute at all costs.

“The West had their preferred presidential candidate in Mr Raila Odinga, but the Kenyan voters were determined to vote in ICC indictees rather than a colonial puppet,” Mr Duale (right) said.

“The best President Kenya can ever have from Central is Mr Kenyatta because he is down to earth and does not carry himself around like the son of a former president. He is not like Gideon Moi, Jimmy Kibaki or even Fidel Odinga.

But why this superlative praise even in the face of accusations the Jubilee Government was rolling back democratic gains and allowing corruption to creep back?

Cartels

“These are cartels and business people competing. The people around the President and his deputy may be corrupt but not them,” says the father of five.

These accusations must be balanced against our achievements: the laptop project which will take power to every village and hamlet, the biggest infrastructural project in East and Central Africa (Lapsset), the million-acre irrigation project, free maternity health services and so on.”

Mr Duale hinted of the appointment of presidential loser Musalia Mudavadi and former Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa—all from western Kenya.

“We might give them jobs. If the President feels they are suitable, what is the big deal? Mr Mudavadi’s political future is dark, but he can do well as a technocrat, same applies to Eugene,” said the ardent Manchester United supporter, who can leave a meeting to watch the Red Devils play football.

Mr Duale has cut a niche for himself as a man whose specialisation is to indiscriminately attack the opposition and his critics say he is being too bullish in victory. But the lawmaker says his approach is justified as they are dealing with a formidable opposition in the House.

“You see, half of the Jubilee politicians are new while Cord has very rich politicians, the likes of Jakoyo Midiwo, John Mbadi and Olago Aluoch are not easy pushovers and so sometimes I have to go bare knuckles. It is the nature of this work otherwise I’m a very harmless person,” says the politician who has interests in the hotel and pharmaceutical industries.

Although he still insists that Mr Odinga, the Cord leader should retire, Mr Duale acknowledges that the opposition leader made a positive impact in his political career. “Despite what I say in rallies which of course is politics, I have a lot of respect for Mr Odinga.

He taught me politics. I knew Raila before I knew Ruto and there is no way you can write Kenya’s democratization history without a chapter on Raila.”