Duale was to pick the title 'Not Personal' but opted to avoid malicious claims against him

Defence CS Aden Duale (left) and Spice FM host Ndu Okoh during an interview on May 11, 2023. [Denis Kibuchi, Standard] Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the idea to write his autobiography, For The Record, came after he was ousted as National Assembly Majority Leader in June 2020 during the Jubilee purge. The decision to kick out Duale from the position was made during a Jubilee Parliamentary Group meeting chaired by former President Uhuru Kenyatta. Hurt by betrayal in his own party, he opted to write a book to detail his experience. At first, he would pick the title, Not Personal. But later changed it to, For The Record, to avoid any malicious claims against him. Duale explained that the reason he picked that title was because for half of his tenure as the Majority Leader he worked in a place full of records and therefore the book would be a record of everything. At the start of his political career, he worked with seasoned politicians like the late former President Mwai Kibaki, ODM leader Raila Odinga and President William Ruto. The book talks about power, leadership and public policy. It also touches on the story of the CS's journey through life all the way from his home in Garissa. President Ruto presided over the book launch at Serena Hotel, Nairobi, on Thursday which was attended by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, Cabinet Secretaries Kithule Kindiki (Interior) and Kipchumba Murkomen (Transport). Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said the book exposes the vices the country has been grappling with for a long time. "Putting to account for the record is good for this country," he said. "You juxtapose political deceit and political forthrightness very vividly where one can see the bad side of politics," said Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. Wetang'ula recounted Duale's ouster as Majority Leader, saying his memoir exposes the deceit and betrayal of what Kenya's politics entails. On Kenya Kwanza Alliance's journey to State House, Murkomen reflected on the role the Defence CS played, saying: "We spent very many days and nights agonising when we were in trouble and celebrating when we had a breakthrough." Prof Kindiki and Environment CS Soipan Tuya hailed Duale's virtue of loyalty which shaped his success. National Assembly Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro challenged President Ruto to consider penning a book that would answer a number of questions about the political arena. Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot said: "Until when you do what Aden Duale has done, you are yet to do something that will outlive you." Saku MP Dido Raso who represented the Pastoralists Parliamentary Group during the launch hinted at distributing copies of the book to learning institutions. "We will also buy the book for some of our schools so that the young and upcoming leaders of this country will find a place to say that yes this is where I started," he said. Duale applauded the President for his courage and loyalty demonstrated in their friendship. He recounted the suffering they endured together and how they emerged from it. "We have suffered together and thrived together, Mr President is now leading us to transform this country," he said. The CS described Kindiki as a brilliant constitutional lawyer who spent days and nights at The Hague. In his book, For The Record, Duale recounts how the Interior CS who was then Senate Majority Leader became a victim of deep state and the system all because he was a friend to Ruto. "We didn't choose to be your friend. We all found ourselves in the space of politics," he said. Duale urged the leaders to also write books. "If there's anything to go by now you owe Kenyans books. Right now you are very busy but when you get time please pen down your memos," he said.

Duale was to pick the title 'Not Personal' but opted to avoid malicious claims against him

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Duale was to pick the title 'Not Personal' but opted to avoid malicious claims against him

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