Duale Fires Back at Khalwale Over Qualifications

A Collage image of Health CS Aden Duale and Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has hit back at Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale after the lawmaker questioned his academic credentials and his ability to manage the country’s health sector.

In a statement on Sunday, September 7, Duale dismissed Khalwale’s remarks as a personal attack and urged the senator to focus on matters of substance rather than personality politics.

“Senator, my academic papers are within the precinct of Parliament (Hansard and committee reports) and submitted to the vetting committee of the National Assembly twice. Discuss substance, not personalities,” Duale said.

“I will always have respect for Parliament and its leadership. My focus is on health reforms. Period.”

Khalwale had openly criticised Duale during a funeral in Mumias West on Saturday, September 6, linking the closure of St Mary’s Hospital and challenges in the Social Health Authority (SHA) framework to the CS’s alleged lack of expertise.

“This minister of yours, Duale, in his entire life, we Kenyans don’t know what he studied. We don’t know whether he has a degree in herding camels or what kind of education he has,” the Senator said on September 6.

Khalwale, a qualified medical doctor, also accused Duale of mishandling insurance reimbursements that contributed to the hospital’s closure.

“Mr President, I’m a professional; listen to me. I’m telling you what other doctors would like to tell you, but they don’t have the opportunity to do so,” he said.

The clash comes amid ongoing investigations into fraud within SHA. Since the launch of a government crackdown, 728 non-compliant facilities have been closed while 301 were downgraded by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council.

In June, SHA suspended 40 facilities following forensic audits and announced plans to degazette another 45 implicated in irregularities.

Additionally, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) confirmed the formation of a multi-agency team to handle over 1,000 files detailing suspected perpetrators of fraud within SHA.

Khalwale had previously called on President William Ruto to dismiss Duale and SHA chairperson Abdi Mohamed over alleged fraud, describing their actions as evidence of government corruption.

Duale, however, has maintained that his priority remains the reform and digitization of the health sector to improve service delivery and restore public confidence.