Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has downplayed the opposition’s celebrations following the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, arguing that the seat was not originally held by the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Speaking in Lafey, Mandera County, on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, Duale said it was misleading for opposition leaders to portray the outcome as a major defeat for President William Ruto’s party.
“Ol Kalou was not even our constituency. The former Member of Parliament who passed on was a Jubilee candidate. It was not a UDA seat,” Duale said.
The Health CS questioned why opposition leaders were celebrating the result as though they had defeated UDA or President Ruto directly.
He cautioned against what he described as political chest-thumping over by-election outcomes, maintaining that the Kenya Kwanza administration continues to enjoy support across various regions, including Western, Nyanza, North Eastern, the Coast and Upper Eastern.
Duale also referenced Kenya’s 2007 political experience, urging leaders to avoid returning the country to divisive and confrontational politics.
“That game, Hon. Wetang’ula knows it. We played that game in 2007. We are going to unite the people of Kenya, those who believe in the unity of our nation,” he stated.
His remarks come amid heightened political competition following a series of by-elections that opposition parties have celebrated as signs of shifting political fortunes ahead of the 2027 General Election.
