During an interview on Jeff Koinange Live show on Wednesday night, Defense Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale shared the reason why he considered leaving the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) earlier than President William Ruto. According to Duale, if he had known that Raila Odinga, the former prime minister, was not going to appoint him as a minister in the 2008 grand coalition government, he would have left ODM for the Party of National Unity.
Duale's revelation sheds light on the dynamics of political alliances and appointments in Kenya. It highlights the importance of political patronage and how it can affect a politician's allegiance to a particular party or leader. The fact that Duale was willing to leave ODM for another party because he did not receive the expected appointment speaks to the underlying issue of political loyalty being tied to personal gain.
Duale's statement also reveals the potential consequences of political appointments on political parties. If key party members feel that their efforts and loyalty are not being recognized, they may start to question their commitment to the party and explore other options. This could result in a loss of support for the party and potentially lead to a shift in the political landscape.
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It is also worth noting that Duale's statement comes at a time when political realignments are happening in Kenya ahead of the 2022 general elections. Politicians are strategizing and forming alliances in anticipation of the upcoming polls, and it remains to be seen how these political moves will shape the political landscape in the country.
He narrated how the ODM boss shortchanged him in the appointments despite promising to reward him for fanatically supporting the party. According to him, Raila informed him face-to-face that the late retired president Mwai Kibaki had appointed the deceased Yusuf Haji as the Minister of Defense instead of him (Duale). He further alleged that the former prime minister informed him that he was not going to get a ministerial position because they hailed from the same district as Haji.
Duale noted that after listening to Raila's sentiments, he questioned why the ODM boss did not inform him earlier that he was not going to reward him, so he decamped to PNU and faced off with Haji.
"When the cabinet of the grand coalition was formed, Raila Odinga looked at me in the eyes and told me Kibaki has appointed another candidate, Haji, to be the Minister for Defence so we can’t have two of you from the same district. I remember I told him he should have told me, I would have gone to PNU and square out with Haji for the ministerial position. The deceit started there," said Duale.
This comes after Duale published a book titled "For The Record", which narrated Kenya's top political intrigues since 2007 and his journey through the same.
