Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has told off Kenya’s former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for his utterances insinuating that the president ‘met’ with Al Shabaab terrorists during his north-eastern region tour earlier this month.

Duale, who was speaking after presiding over the conclusion of a three-day medical camp in Balambala Sub County in Garissa said that William President Ruto has done so much more than any other president for the people of his region and that the pastoral communities would support him fully.

Duale accused the former DP and his opposition team of fuelling tribalism and belittling other communities.

“The days of entitlement are over. The days of entitlement – that one community is more important than any other community – are gone after the new Constitution. We have governors with ministers and county assemblies who are managing our resources,” Duale said.

“We want to tell you from Balambala that – do not dare to insult the Somalis and the Muslim community. Just because President Ruto slept in Mandera and Wajir counties where no other president ever spent a night, now you want to call us terrorists,” he added.

Duale was reacting to Gachagua’s recent claims while on a trip to the United States to the effect that President Ruto was “giving IDs to non-Kenyans” following the easing of identification requirements for border communities.

Gachagua also alleged that President Ruto met with senior Al-Shabaab militants during a visit to Mandera, remarks that have been widely condemned by top government officials, including Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.

While reacting to the same issue, ODM nominated MP Umulkheir Harun said that some leaders in opposition have been opposed to equal distribution of national resources to all Kenyans and that is why they were creating stereotypes against other communities where President Ruto has started initiating development projects.

“I personally did not vote for President Ruto in the last elections but when he came in, he said that every hustler matters, and so we are working with him,” Umulkheir said.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Erick Kyalo