Former Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa has hit back at Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale after he questioned her ability to read and understand Cabinet papers during their time in government.
Jumwa accused Duale of hypocrisy and dismissed his remarks as an attempt to demean her politically, saying she was fully capable of understanding Cabinet business.
“I sat with you at the Cabinet, and there was no day you talked to me save for one day,” Jumwa claimed.
She recalled an incident involving a former governor, claiming Duale confronted her after she accompanied the governor to meet President William Ruto.
“I took him (ex-governor) to the President in the evening, and the following day we had a Cabinet sitting, and that day you talked to me with a lot of anger and pain, asking me why I took the governor to Ruto,” she claimed.
Jumwa alleged that Duale insulted her during the exchange and dismissed her attempts to explain why she had taken the county boss to see the President.
“You insulted me, and when I wanted to explain myself, you dismissed me,” she said.
Her remarks came after Duale launched a fresh attack against his former Cabinet colleague while speaking in Mombasa on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
Duale claimed he had sat next to Jumwa in Cabinet and would at times assist her in reading and explaining Cabinet papers.
He further alleged that Jumwa struggled to explain some of the issues contained in Cabinet documents, prompting him to intervene.
Duale made the remarks while criticising Jumwa’s association with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka.
He questioned her decision to work with Kalonzo, whom he described as a former vice president, while also urging Mombasa residents to register as voters and participate in the 2027 General Election.
Jumwa, however, warned Duale against attempting to dictate the political direction of the Coast region.
She said the region had its own leaders capable of making political decisions and would not accept instructions on whom to support.
“You will not direct the Coast region on where to vote. The Coast has its leaders. If you think Coast has no leader, I am there for them,” she said.
Meanwhile, EALA MP Falhada Iman Dekow condemned Duale’s remarks, claiming he is using political differences to demean and ridicule a woman leader.
Dekow said political disagreements should not degenerate into personal attacks or humiliation.
She maintained that every leader has a democratic right to choose their political allegiance and support leaders of their choice.
