President William Ruto's quest for another term in 2027 has received a fresh boost from Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, who has pledged to rally pastoralist communities across the country behind the Head of State and ensure they turn out in large numbers on election day.
Duale said he would spearhead efforts to increase national identity card and voter registration among pastoralists, arguing that the communities must use their numerical strength to influence the country's political leadership. He called on residents in 12 pastoralist counties to unite behind Ruto and give him another five years in office.
The CS made the appeal on Saturday, November 14, 2026, while addressing participants at the Maa Cultural and Tourism Festival held at Sekenani Gate in Narok County. He urged Maasai residents and other pastoralist groups to take an active role in the 2027 elections, promising that no effort would be spared in ensuring eligible voters obtain the documents required to participate.
“We will use whatever under our means to make sure our people get the right documents and voters card, to defend this government, to elect our president twice,” Duale said.
He urged the communities to prepare early for the polls, expressing confidence that their participation would translate into strong electoral support for the incumbent.
Duale challenges pastoralists to determine 2027 election outcome
Duale said communities spread across the 12 pastoralist counties should not underestimate their ability to shape the outcome of national elections.
He argued that despite backing successive governments, the region had not enjoyed equal opportunities in development and political representation, insisting that residents needed to take a more active role in national affairs.
The CS called on pastoralists to consolidate their political position by ensuring more people registered as voters and participated in the next election.
“The next election, na nyinyi wafugaji mkate kura. Sisi tumejipanga wafugaji,” he said.
He also encouraged Maasai residents to follow national political developments, noting that decisions made by the country's leadership had consequences for their communities.
Duale maintained that the region's voting strength could give it greater influence in national decision-making if residents remained organised and participated in elections.
Cites Sh100 billion Mandera road project
In defending Ruto's performance, Duale pointed to infrastructure investments that he said had brought development closer to pastoralist communities.
He singled out a road project connecting the Mandera border region, saying the 750-kilometre road would be undertaken at an estimated cost of Sh100 billion.
The CS also cited road construction and the development of an airport in Narok as examples of projects demonstrating the government's commitment to improving infrastructure in the region.
He argued that the 12 pastoralist counties had witnessed a level of development not previously experienced under past administrations.
“Yale maendeleo tuliona chini ya ndugu yetu rais wa Kenya William Ruto katika kaunti 12 ya wafugaji hata haijawahi kufanyika,” Duale said.
He added that the government was pursuing the constitutional requirement for equal treatment and fair distribution of development, regardless of ethnic background.
Raises concerns over historical marginalisation
Duale also turned his attention to the historical distribution of government opportunities, claiming that pastoralist communities had for years faced unequal treatment in accessing essential documents and senior public positions.
He cited difficulties in obtaining national identity cards and passports, arguing that such challenges had contributed to the exclusion of some communities from national opportunities.
The CS further questioned the distribution of the Finance Ministry portfolio since independence, claiming that one community had produced 10 of the 18 ministers who had held the position.
“Kenya ilikuwa na mawaziri wa fedha 18. How many? 18 ministers tangu independence. 10 wametoka kabila moja. Is that a fair country?” he posed.
His remarks centred on the need for broader representation in government and a fairer distribution of national resources and opportunities.
In August 2026, Duale had made a similar appeal to pastoralist communities, urging them to increase the number of people holding national identity cards and registering as voters.
He argued at the time that the region needed to move away from being a spectator in national politics and instead become an active stakeholder in decisions affecting the country.
During Saturday's address, he reiterated that pastoralists had a responsibility to use their voting power to influence the country's leadership, maintaining that his support for Ruto was informed by the administration's development record.
Duale ended his speech by calling on the communities to give Ruto another term, leading the crowd in chants of “two term” and “William Ruto”.