Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has called on Muslim leaders and historically marginalised communities to unite under a political platform supporting President William Ruto ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking on behalf of the President at the National Muslim Leaders Convention 2026 in Nairobi, Duale said the administration was working to address historical injustices through policies intended to improve representation, resource allocation and economic development.
He urged communities from Nyanza, Western Kenya and the Coast, alongside pastoralist groups and Muslims, to come together under what he described as a “coalition of the marginalised”.
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“Tuungane Nyanza, Western, Coast, wafugaji, Waislamu wote; tuungane tujiite the coalition of the marginalised, and we support Mr Ruto,” Duale said.
Duale argued that the government was addressing historical policy decisions that he said had disadvantaged some regions and communities.
He cited developments in Western Kenya, including the revival of sugar factories and plans to achieve self-sufficiency in sugar production, as examples of the administration’s development agenda.
“William Ruto is trying to correct all those historical policy decisions, from Sessional Paper No. 10 to Africanisation to cash crops. Today, in Western Kenya, the factories are running. Kenya is very soon going to be sugar self-sufficient, and we will export it for the first time,” Duale said.
The Cabinet Secretary also pointed to infrastructure development, including roads and energy projects, arguing that efforts to address historical grievances had contributed to political resistance against the President.
“His returning our dignity is where Ruto is becoming unpopular,” Duale noted.
His remarks framed the administration’s development policies as part of a broader effort to address longstanding inequalities in the country.
Duale said the Ruto administration was committed to creating a more equitable country by ensuring that public appointments, resource allocation and national policies reflected Kenya’s diversity.
“President Ruto is committing to structurally create an equitable Kenya where public appointments, resource allocation and national policies reflect the true diversity of our nation to ensure that the Muslim community permanently moves from the margins to the centre of state planning and execution,” he said.
He maintained that Muslim communities and other historically marginalised groups should have a greater role in national decision-making.
“Huko mbele, President William Ruto, Waislamu pamoja na wale wamekuwa marginalised, he wants us to come to the centre and make decisions. Kenya is a great country for the Muslim community. We're the only country where, in Africa and the world, our rights are enshrined in the Constitution,” Duale stated.
The Cabinet Secretary also highlighted measures he said were intended to expand Muslim participation in national development.
These included the removal of discriminatory vetting requirements affecting applicants seeking national identity cards and passports, as well as the adoption of Islamic financing models in housing and enterprise programmes.
Duale said the initiatives were intended to address longstanding grievances and enable Muslims who avoid interest-based financing to participate more fully in economic opportunities.
His remarks placed questions of representation, access to public services and economic inclusion at the centre of the convention’s political discussions.
The National Muslim Leaders Convention 2026 was convened by the Supreme Council of Kenyan Muslims (SUPKEM) and brought together Muslim leaders to discuss issues affecting the community and its place in national development.
Duale used the gathering to appeal for a broader alliance involving communities from different parts of the country ahead of the 2027 polls.
His proposal for a “coalition of the marginalised” linked the government’s stated commitments on representation and development with an explicit call for political support for Ruto.
The appeal comes as political leaders position themselves and seek support ahead of the next General Election.
