‘Don't argue with a fool,’ Ruto tells Duale on Gachagua duel

President William Ruto on Wednesday dismissed a proposal by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale to engage former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in a public debate saying the government would not be drawn into unnecessary political duels.

Speaking in Garissa to a cheering crowd, Ruto appeared to caution Duale against escalating the war of words.

“I want to tell my friend Aden Duale, those who know English normally say, ‘Don’t argue with a fool; people will not know the difference,” Ruto said, drawing applause and laughter from the audience.

“Let us not waste our time. We have an agenda for this nation and a programme.”

Duale had earlier suggested that Gachagua be invited to a public debate on key national issues, amid growing political tensions and sharp exchanges within the ruling coalition.

Speaking during the Nyota event in Garissa, Duale said, “I am ready to engage him. I challenge the former deputy president, Rigathi Gachagua. I will challenge you to a contest.”

However, the President signalled that his administration would instead focus on development priorities, particularly in historically marginalised regions.

“I have been here in Garissa and I told you that we are going to re-write the wrong history that was written about this region. We will correct the historical injustices, and we are already underway in correcting those injustices,” he said.

Ruto pointed to challenges facing young people in northern Kenya, especially access to national identification documents, which he said had excluded many from government opportunities.

“In fact, when we asked about applications for Nota program, many youth did not even have IDs. How can they apply without identification?” he posed.

The President said the government is streamlining the issuance of identity cards to ensure youth can access empowerment programmes.

Earlier, the cabinet secretary proposed that the debate be held on Citizen TV’s Jeff Koinange Live programme.

The challenge comes amid an ongoing dispute between the two leaders. Duale and Gachagua were previously allies in the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) before Gachagua’s impeachment in October 2024.

The disagreement follows Gachagua’s recent criticism of leaders from the North Eastern region.

Gachagua accused some leaders of misusing devolution funds and neglecting development in their counties.

In his remarks, Gachagua cited shortages in key public services, including hospitals, clean water, classrooms, teachers, and medical personnel.

He also questioned the impact of devolution funding, arguing that despite significant allocations to counties since 2013, some areas continue to face development challenges.