Health CS Aden Duale has dismissed former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua as a serious political contender, describing him as “the biggest comedian” whose frequent attacks on President William Ruto’s administration amount to little more than political entertainment.

Duale made the remarks on Friday while addressing the media on the sidelines of a development and community engagement tour of Bura East in Fafi Constituency, Garissa County, where he was accompanied by several local leaders.

The CS was responding to Gachagua’s criticism of the Kenya Kwanza administration.

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Duale said he had no intention of engaging Gachagua in what he described as an increasingly unproductive political exchange.

“Gachagua is not the serious contender. Now I can describe Gachagua as the biggest comedian that Kenyans should watch every night. In fact, I will ask television stations to present more Gachagua,” Duale said.

“What Gachagua says every day is just entertainment. So I don't need to respond to Gachagua. Everything he says is entertainment. You can watch a movie; you can watch Gachagua. I don't think what he says has any substance. I don't even want to reply to him,” Duale said.

The remarks add a fresh chapter to the increasingly heated political exchange between the two leaders, who have traded criticism over the direction of the country, the performance of the Ruto administration and the political future of different regions ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Gachagua, who is now the leader of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), has emerged as a vocal critic of President Ruto, accusing the administration of failing to deliver on its promises and abandoning sections of the electorate that supported the Kenya Kwanza coalition in 2022.

His criticism has also focused on the broad-based government arrangement, which brought opposition figures into government following the political upheaval triggered by the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.

Duale said leaders from the Northeastern region had agreed to support President Ruto’s re-election, arguing that the decision was based on what he described as the administration’s development record.

“Our aim is to make sure that, inshallah, in the next election, our region's president of choice is none other than the current President, His Excellency Dr William Ruto,” he said.

Duale said the President should be judged on his record rather than his political name or position, pointing to developments in healthcare, education, agriculture, roads and the wider economy.

“We are not electing President William Ruto because he is called Dr William Ruto. Ruto has delivered. The data is there and the numbers are there,” Duale said.

He cited the government’s Universal Health Coverage programme, increased teacher recruitment, food production and improved markets for livestock and agricultural products as some of the areas where he said the administration had made progress.

Duale said the government had also made significant investments in road infrastructure, including projects linking northern Kenya to other parts of the country.

He pointed to the Isiolo-Mandera road, the Lamu-Garissa-Ijara-Fafi-Balambala-Lagdera and Isiolo corridors, as well as other major national infrastructure projects, as evidence of what he described as a shift towards more equitable development.

“For the first time, you are seeing roads being built everywhere in Kenya. Many roads used to be built in only one corner of Kenya,” he said.

Duale also highlighted teacher recruitment, saying the country had inherited a shortage of about 116,000 teachers when the Ruto administration came into office and that approximately 100,000 teachers had since been employed.

He said the remaining gap would be addressed through additional recruitment.

The CS was, however, particularly combative when addressing the emerging political contest ahead of the 2027 elections, challenging former President Uhuru Kenyatta to openly lead the opposition against President Ruto.

“We defeated you in 2022. Uhuru Kenyatta, prepare for 2027. We are ready for a rematch. Choose the stadium,” Duale said.

He again dismissed Gachagua as a serious threat to Ruto’s re-election bid, saying he regarded the former Deputy President’s criticism of the administration as entertainment rather than a substantive political challenge.

Health CS Aden Duale in Bura East town./STEPEHEN ASTARIKO