Who is Aden Bare Duale, Kenya's newly appointed CS defense.

On the 9th of August, Kenyans headed to vote in a closely contested General Elections and the final results came as a  surprise to most of the voter as well as the the political predictors. William Samoei Ruto emerged the winner against the veteran politician, Raila Odinga who was backed by the government of the then sitting president Uhuru Kenyatta.

On September, Ruto appointed his package of cabinets, rewarding some of his loyal friends during his tamaltous but successful political journey. The most eye catching nominee to the cabinet was the former Majority Leader of Parliament Aden Duale who was nominated for the ministry of Defense.

He was the only Somali person to appear in the long list of the appointed leaders, sending an indication that he is trusted by the president William Ruto at this critical time in the region in terms of security.

In this article we will look back on his political journey and forward to the impact his appointment can have.

Duale was born, raised and educated in Garissa county in Northeastern Kenya. He joined politics in 2007 as an elected Member of Parliament for Dujis constituency, currently Garissa Township, a seat he held until he officially resigned days ago after being successfully approved by the National Assembly. He was voted in to be a legislator four times under four political party tickets, a record worth remembering.

He became the first Majority Leader of the Kenyan Parliament in 2013 and held that post up to 2020 when president Uhuru Kenyatta swept all Ruto allies out of the top positions in the government due their political indifferences and by siding with the Ruto-led faction.

Between the day of his ouster to the General Elections he fought so hard to make sure his close friend, William Ruto climb the ladder to the Presidency, and boy did he delivered!

In an interview with one of the Kenyan local media In 2014, Duale predicted that he would quit politics “the day his friend William Ruto will be sworn in as the president.”

He enjoyed much success and achievements in his 15 year reign as a member of Parliament becoming the first ever major leader in Kenya in the 11th Parliament under the new constitution. He is known by the locals of Garissa Township as the  only politician who has established a very strong bond with the Muslim scholars in his constituency. He built many Islamic schools and sponsored them with the right equipments and facilities—this is an area where he simply excelled in.

What does his appointment symbolize to Somali kenyans.

Kenyans of Somali origins have been yearning so long for equity. They wanted to hold high profile public office especially those in relation with National Identity card, passport and security. Extrajudicial killings has been among the major issue to the Somalis who are the sixth largest community in Kenya. During the campaigns, president William Ruto promised to end the extrajudicial killings and also ease the process of getting National Identity cars and passports. Somalis have been suffering since the fall of Somalia’s central government in the early 90’s since it’s practically hard to differentiate the difference between a Somali born in Kenya and those from across the borders.

The take over of Aden Duale as Cabinet Secretary for  Defense, according to experts, will decrease the harsh treatments of security agencies during their operations in Northeastern counties of Wajir, Garissa and Mandera.

Beside Aden Duale, Directorate of Criminal investigations, Directorate of Public Prosecutions which is headed by Mohamed Amin and Noordiin Hajji respectfully.

Looking at the bigger picture, this is projected to remove the institutionalised treatment of the Somali community who for years claimed they were treated as a second class citizen.

On a National television, Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and the DPP Noordiin Hajji, called for “fair treatment of the the Somali community.

His Role in the restabilaztion of Somalia.

Kenya is among the countries who have contributed military forces to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) who’s biggest role is to hand over peaceful Somalia to it’s national army, a process that’s now ongoing.

 While answering a question about how long Kenyan Defense Forces should stay in Somalia Duale said: “We are in Somalia, we don’t want to stay long like other countries, there is timeline but we must make sure that we hand over and leave Somalia when we are safe and when they are safe and can take charge of their country”.

His appointment came a time when there is a serious fight between the Somali government and Al-shabab which shows the belief of president William Ruto in his capabilities. Security analysts from the region believes that the new CS can have better interaction with Somali leaders and their security stakeholders than another Kenyan with different ethnicity which they underlined as a vital point amid the rising fears of spill over of Al-shabab who are unable to contain the wars that the government are wagging on them.

To strengthen on the arguments of security analysts in the region, Duale has already paid a visit to Somalia after his appointment during the opening of Garaad Port in Puntalnd.

In an interview with the Aljazera Arabic, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Bare, noted the importance of the support from neighboring countries in the fight against Al-Shabaab ” All the Somali people unanimously decided to oppose Al-Shabaab, and from there victory began against them courtesy of Somali people only, now what is remaining is the role of Arab governments who are our brothers, neighboring countries and the rest of the world”.

Having lost their diplomatic ties under the then presidents Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and Uhuru Kenyatta, Somalia and Kenya are now back on the track of moving together under the new lights of leadership.

Kenya Defense forces In DRC.

DRC will be a fresh ground for KDF to operate in under the leadership of the Former ranking member of the Parliament.

Kenyan soldiers who are to deployed under the East African Community peace initiative will have to overcome the M23 rebels allegedly supported by Rwanda.

The rebels fighting the government of President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi are reportedly backed by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda — a claim Kigali denies. Entering the fray as spearhead of the East African regional force puts the Kenya Defence Forces right in the middle of an enduring conflict that over the years has attracted attention from distant African countries such as South Africa and Angola, as well as major global powers like the United States, France, China, Belgium and Britain.

Kenya has over the past year played the key role in brokering a peace settlement in eastern DRC driven by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who on relinquishing office was asked by his successor William Ruto to continue spearheading what has now been christened the Nairobi Conclave.

Under the lights of world, this now is a new taste for whole of the region and the continent, for Kenya the reliance is on the new CS of Defense.

Duale who enjoyed a lot of success as a legislator will have a new boots to walk in as all the eyes are on him because of the sensitivity of the docket he is given and the rising insecurity and conflict cases in the region. He will have to make a stellar job so as to fulfill the agenda of his boss in his position, a lot of people believe he is capable of the spectacular deliverance of job