Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has come out guns blazing to defend the controversial recruitment at the Social Health Authority (SHA), using the loaded rhetoric of "historical injustices" to justify an ethnic imbalance that has sparked public outrage.

Reports indicate that nearly half of the 47 County Operations Managers recruited hail from just two communities. In a country scarred by tribal favoritism, such statistics are usually a smoking gun. However, Duale, speaking in Garissa, flipped the script. He argued that the appointments were merit-based but also a necessary correction of past marginalization. It is a bold, if divisive, defense.

The Merit vs. Tribe Debate

"We must correct historical injustices," Duale declared, effectively arguing that it is now the "turn" of previously marginalized communities to eat. This logic, while politically potent in his backyard, raises serious constitutional questions about Article 10 and the requirement for regional balance in public service.

• The Defense: Duale insists he did not interfere with the board's decision, claiming the process was independent. He challenges critics to check the qualifications of the appointees.
• The Optic: For a government that campaigned on "Hustler" unity rather than tribal coalitions, the SHA list looks suspiciously like the old "it's our turn to eat" politics re-packaged.
• The Stakes: SHA is managing billions of shillings in health insurance. Public trust is essential. If the public perceives the authority as a tribal enclave, compliance with the mandatory contributions will plummet.

A Dangerous Precedent

By invoking "historical injustice" to defend current imbalances, Duale is playing a dangerous game. It suggests that equity is a zero-sum game where one group’s rise requires another’s exclusion. It is a philosophy that deepens rifts rather than healing them.

The SHA was meant to be the savior of Kenya’s healthcare. It is starting to look like just another battleground for ethnic patronage. Duale has summoned the board for a "briefing," but the damage to public perception may already be done.

The Verdict

Competence should have no tribe. If the SHA fails because of cronyism, it won’t be "historical injustices" that kill Kenyans—it will be present-day incompetence.