Escalating Rhetoric

Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Monday, November 17, 2025, mounted a staunch defense of President William Ruto, countering accusations from opposition leaders that the Head of State has resorted to insults in his recent public addresses. Speaking in Eldoret, Duale characterized the President's remarks not as personal attacks, but as a legitimate challenge to the opposition to present a coherent development agenda for the nation. This comes in the wake of President Ruto's tour of the Ukambani region, where his comments, including labeling opponents as "fools" and "brainless," drew sharp condemnation from local leaders.

A War of Words

During his Ukambani tour, President Ruto questioned the opposition's capacity to govern, stating, "A person who has no plan, no policy, no agenda, no intelligence, is that someone to be elected?" He specifically criticized opposition slogans like "Wantam" and "Kasongo must go" as evidence of a lack of substance. This prompted a swift backlash, with leaders like Machakos Senator Agnes Kavindu and Makueni Speaker Douglas Mbilu warning the President on Saturday, November 15, 2025, to cease disrespecting leaders or face a similar response. Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka also responded, asserting that the opposition's agenda includes fighting corruption and promoting good governance.

Duale's Counter-Narrative

In his defense of the President, CS Duale argued that the opposition's role is to critique government policies with factual alternatives, not simply to oppose for the sake of it. "The president only said that if you have an alternative vision or plan, lay it down. He demonstrated what he has achieved and challenged the opposition to show theirs," Duale stated. He predicted that an increasingly educated electorate will soon demand more than personality-based politics, holding all leaders accountable for their development records. "The work of opposition is to critique the government on policies, figures, and programs. Every opposition leader must have an alternative agenda to that of the government of the day," he added.

The Broader Political Context

The heated exchange occurs as the country's political landscape shifts towards the 2027 general election. The opposition has been consolidating its messaging, using public events to criticize the Kenya Kwanza administration's performance and highlight unresolved historical injustices. President Ruto, meanwhile, has been touring the country, defending his government's development agenda, which includes affordable housing, universal healthcare, and infrastructure projects, and framing his policies as a break from a past of exclusion and patronage. He has consistently accused his critics of having no agenda beyond tribalism and division.

A Call for Issue-Based Politics

Duale's comments underscore a central theme of the current administration: a call for a shift from personality-driven politics to issue-based discourse. He has previously criticized the opposition for internal conflicts and a reliance on slogans like "Ruto must go," which he deems meaningless as a political platform. The Defence CS maintains that the government's agenda is on course to transform Kenya and that opposition is rooted in a desire to protect entrenched interests unsettled by President Ruto's push for equitable development. As the political rhetoric intensifies, the focus remains on whether the national conversation will pivot towards substantive policy debates or continue along a path of personalized attacks, with the Kenyan electorate ultimately set to deliver its verdict.