Duale: How Uhuru kicked me out in 22 minutes
By Wanja Waweru
Aden Duale, the cabinet secretary for defense, has described how former president Uhuru Kenyatta watched as he was deposed as majority leader of the National Assembly in just 22 minutes.
Duale said in his most recent book For The Record that Jubilee party members had been gathering signatures to have him removed through the then-Kieni MP Kanini Kega.
“Kanini and the Cabal finally got the ear of the President and he agreed to convene a Parliamentary Group meeting to seal my fate. On Monday morning, June 22, 2022, I knew that it was going to be my last day in office. Everyone could see it,” Duale said.
The CS further said that in the meeting that was held at KICC, the then Deputy President William Ruto sat in the venue, with all Jubilee members waiting for Uhuru’s arrival.
“I could hear murmurs, and feet shuffling, but the President’s body language appeared set. I had no chance,” the book reads in part.
After speculating on his future, Duale claimed that the major goal of the meeting was to have him dismissed because a petition with 126 signatures had been distributed.
Uhuru stood up, said he had the signatures. He put the matter to a vote by acclamation, and as soon as the shouting was done, he said the vote for my ouster had passed. He said Amos Kimunya, the then MP for Kipipiri, would take my place,” Duale said.
After Uhuru’s speech, according to Duale, the then-Jubilee secretary General Raphael Tuju grabbed the microphone and garnered support for both Kimunya’s appointment and removal.
“The meeting ended. I was out. I understood. The whole episode took 22 minutes,” he said.
