National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Bare Duale has been a vocal spokesman of the Jubilee Government, supporting its agenda and programmes zealously. However, his recent criticism of the current security operation in the war against terror appear to have put him at odds with the political establishment he secured. The Standard On Sunday’s Senior Political Writer, OSCAR OBONYO poses the hard questions to the Leader of Majority, on his apparent disagreement with his bosses, his possible political isolation, including his alleged inciting sentiments encouraging terrorists to hurl bombs elsewhere in the country except Nairobi’s Eastleigh.
The Standard on Sunday: For the first time you are speaking a different language from that of President Uhuru and DP Ruto. Isn’t this the case? Why?
Duale: We are not in disagreement over war on terrorism. The President, his deputy and I are together on this. However, we will not allow few individuals in government to blacklist members of our community, including children, as terrorists, sympathisers of terrorists or terrorists’ financiers.
Are you not worried that you could be politically blacklisted or isolated for taking a hard stand that appears to contradict your bosses?
I am a serious stakeholder in the government. I am also the Leader of Majority, courtesy of a negotiated political agreement. And my position is that the energy and zeal with which I have served and defended the Jubilee Government is the same one with which I will continue to defend interests and rights of the Somali and Muslim community in Kenya today.
The senior position you hold places you as a national leader who should protect the rights of all. Why are you an ardent defender of only a section of the Kenyan community?
As the most senior politician from the Somali community, I am the bridge between members of my community and the Jubilee Government. Muslims and members of the Somali community overwhelmingly voted for President Uhuru.
And we appreciate the fact that today we occupy a more central position in the Government more than we ever did under the previous governments of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki. Ideally, we have a moral obligation to protect national security, because we are serious stakeholders in this country.
And why are you not as enthusiastic in defending Christians?
I do. In fact, following the recent blast in a church in Likoni, Mombasa, I went to Likoni to empathise with my Christian brothers and sisters, and political leaders of Mombasa County can bear me witness. While there, I mentioned that we could not continue to bury our heads in the sand as our churches remained targets of terrorists. And lest you forget, I am a political and not a religious leader, who even in my Garissa Township Constituency represents interests of everyone, including Christians who account for 30 per cent.
Let us turn to your controversial address at a rally in Eastleigh a couple of days ago, where you reportedly encouraged terrorists to instead do their thing in other places, like in Machakos?
I want to state categorically that this was the work of erroneous translation by one media house. What I said in Eastleigh was taken completely out of context. I was simply asking the residents of Eastleigh to be more vigilant in identifying and smoking out terror suspects.
Source: The Standard
