Duale expresses gratitude to Ruto after being promoted to Health docket
President William Ruto, on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, announced a new round of changes within his administration, moving Aden Duale to the Ministry of Health.
Duale, who until today served as the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry, has been reassigned to the Health docket, swapping positions with Deborah Barasa.
“His Excellency the President has today instituted further changes to the senior ranks of the Executive within the Cabinet. Through this presidential action, the Cabinet is set to achieve its constitutional full strength,” read part of a statement shared by State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed.
The Health Ministry is a much larger docket compared to the Environment Ministry.
However, Duale’s promotion comes amid an ongoing crisis in the health sector, driven by inefficiencies within the Social Health Authority (SHA) and a nationwide doctors’ strike.
Although the Health Ministry holds significant prestige, it is often considered a career minefield due to the persistent challenges that plague the sector.
Before Barasa’s appointment, her predecessor, Susan Nakhumicha, was dismissed following a series of protests that characterized her tenure at the Health Ministry.
Despite the challenges ahead, Duale steps into his new role with optimism, aiming to succeed where his predecessors, including Barasa and Nakhumicha, struggled.
“The prosperity of a nation depends on the health of its people. I am deeply grateful to H.E. President @WilliamsRuto for his trust and confidence in appointing me to lead the Ministry of Health. It has been an honor serving at the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change & Forestry, where we advanced key environmental and climate action policies,” Duale wrote on X moments after his appointment.
Duale further expressed confidence in his ability to transform the Health Ministry.
“In my new role, I remain committed to working with relevant stakeholders to implement government policies that strengthen healthcare delivery, ensuring accessible and quality services for all Kenyans. A key priority will be advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) to guarantee equitable healthcare access, especially for vulnerable populations,” he stated.
“Health is central to the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), and I look forward to fostering interministerial collaboration to enhance service delivery and improve lives across the nation,” he added.
Since President Ruto assumed office in September 2022, Duale has served in three different ministries.
He was first appointed Cabinet Secretary for Defence on October 31, 2022, a position he held until July 11, 2024, when he was demoted.
Following Ruto’s dismissal of nearly his entire Cabinet after the Gen Z protests in June 2024, Duale was reinstated on July 19, 2024, as the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry.
He led the Environment Ministry until March 26, 2025, when President Ruto promoted him to head the Ministry of Health.
Author
Martin Oduor
The alchemist of literary works - a master wordsmith with a proven record of transforming the raw materials of language into a rich tapestry of emotion, thought, and imagination.
View all posts by Martin Oduor
