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Defense Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has said he is ready to resign if he has failed President William Ruto in efforts to deliver on his mandate.

A Cabinet reshuffle to weed out underperforming ministers may be in order, Duale said in a TV interview yesterday.

“If the President feels I have let him down as minister for Defence, I want him to do the right thing,” Duale said.

“Start with me and all the rest who have let him down in the interest of all the people of Kenya and tell us to step aside to have a new team. I am ready, look at me, quote me.

“The people of Kenya, through former President Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto, have given me a chance to serve, but if I’m part of the problem that is bedevilling the country called Kenya and our state of affairs, let him (Ruto) start with me.”

Divisive politics

Duale, previously the majority leader in the National Assembly, advised Ruto to thoroughly examine his administration, suggesting that it is time to shed any “baggage” that might impede national development.

Highlighting the importance of listening to young people and moving away from divisive tribal politics, Duale underscored the need for the President to address the concerns raised by Generation Z, who have held countrywide protests over the finance bill and the skyrocketing cost of living.

“The President must reset. We have to listen to the vital voices and they are categorically saying we are tribeless,” Duale stated.

Duale’s comments came amid growing political tensions and calls for accountability in the Ruto administration.

The minister also defended himself over the deployment of Kenya Defence Forces soldiers in Nairobi city centre during the protests, saying the decision followed the law.

Last resort

Such measures, he said, were taken as a last resort to prevent the country from sliding into anarchy after the Kenya Police Service, which is responsible for internal security, was overwhelmed.

“We are in Nairobi to protect critical infrastructure to protect civilians from criminal gangs, hired goons by politicians and other people who are not different from the bandits and terrorists that we are dealing with in the North Rift,” said Duale

Duale clarified that a motion on deploying KDF soldiers within Kenya’s borders can pass within 15 minutes once it is tabled, moved and no member expresses an interest in contributing to it.

In that case, he said, the Speaker can have the motion voted on.

He said individuals who hired goons, killed people and destroyed property in the recent protests will be dealt with.

“The police officers who committed a crime, killed a citizen of the country outside the law, must be dealt with, including the sniper at the Parliament who the DCI are investigating if he was from the government,” he said.

He said the DCI is looking for protesters who infiltrated Parliament buildings, comparing what happened last week to an incident at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 when five people died.

“On that Tuesday, there was a systematic plan to burn Parliament, the Supreme Court, the government square and then go to State House, and our security agents did good work to make sure they saved the institution,” Duale said.