Health CS Aden Duale has launched an aggressive drive to turn Northeastern into a decisive voting bloc, declaring that pastoralists will no longer be “passengers” in next year’s election.
He said leaders from the pastoralist counties had embarked on a massive mobilisation campaign to increase voter registration and ensure every eligible resident obtains a national identity card ahead of the polls.
The CS spoke in Afweine, Lagdera subcounty, during a fundraiser for the construction of mosques and madrasas.
The former Garissa Township MP said the initiative was designed to transform the region into a formidable political force capable of shaping Kenya’s leadership through the ballot.
“We want to make sure pastoralists will not be passengers in the next general election. We shall be stakeholders,” Duale said.
“We are mobilising our people to register during the mass voter registration exercise. We want every eligible Kenyan to obtain an identity card and a voter card so no one is left behind. In 2027, the first ballot box to be filled early in the morning will be that of President William Ruto.”
Duale said the pastoralist counties have every reason to rally behind Ruto, arguing the President has demonstrated through his development agenda that every part of the country deserves equitable treatment.
He said the combined pastoralist counties account for nearly five million votes, saying the region was determined to use its numerical strength to influence the outcome of the election.
Duale dismissed suggestions that leaders from the region should apologise for supporting Ruto, insisting their backing was anchored in the administration’s record of delivering development.
“We have no apologies for supporting President Ruto,” he said.
“The President has demonstrated through actions, not words, that he believes in equity in the distribution of development across Kenya. Because he has treated every region fairly, we have made a commitment and a pledge to support his re-election.”
He said political support should be judged by development outcomes rather than rhetoric.
“You might not like us, but one thing we want to state categorically is that we are with the President. You might hate us, but we have made a commitment to support Ruto’s re-election because he has stood with our people.”
Duale also renewed his attacks on former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, escalating an exchange that has intensified as political alignments begin to take shape.
He criticised Gachagua’s recent meeting with a section of politicians and aspiring leaders from North Eastern, dismissing them as individuals who do not represent the interests of the region.
“Those people you are assembling and purporting to be leaders from our region are not speaking for Northeastern. They claim there are no roads in my constituency, yet everybody knows that is not true. They clearly have no idea what Garissa looks like today,” Duale said.
The remarks were in response to criticism by Gachagua, who accused some of Northeastern’s senior political leaders, including Duale and Eldas MP Adan Keynan, of failing to improve the livelihoods of residents despite occupying influential positions in government for many years.
