Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has shared a personal reflection on his early political ties to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), coinciding with the party’s 20th anniversary celebrations in Mombasa.
In a statement posted on X, Duale highlighted his role as a founding member alongside President William Ruto.
The event has drawn hundreds of supporters to the coastal city, marking two decades since ODM’s formation in 2005.
Duale’s message comes amid ongoing tributes to the late opposition leader Raila Odinga, who died on October 15, 2025, in India from cardiac arrest.
Odinga, often called “Baba,” co-founded ODM and led it through several key electoral battles.
The anniversary underscores the party’s influence on Kenya’s multiparty democracy, with events featuring speeches, cultural performances, and policy discussions at the Wild Waters Mombasa resort.
In his X post, Duale traced his political entry through ODM, noting that it propelled him to Parliament in 2007 as MP for Dujis Constituency in Garissa County.
“When ODM opened its doors twenty years ago, we, including H.E. President William Ruto, were among the founder and ranking members,” Duale wrote.
He credited the party with expanding Kenya’s “democratic horizon and a louder, freer voice.”
Duale described Odinga’s life as a long walk through sacrifice, bruising battles, and unending courage.
He recalled moments when Odinga “bled so that the rest of us could breathe freely,” even standing firm amid disagreements.
“Even when we disagreed, even when the country wavered, he did not,” Duale stated, emphasizing Odinga’s insistence that “no Kenyan should ever fear their own voice.”
The Cabinet Secretary acknowledged shifting alliances, now serving under the United Democratic Alliance (UDA). Yet he affirmed a constant: “Democracy. It is the thread that has stitched together every chapter of my public life.”
Duale said he joined the anniversary celebrations “not as a mere member, but as a grateful beneficiary,” expressing humility for the platform ODM provided.
President Ruto, another ODM founder, had not issued a public statement on the milestone as of Saturday evening.
Duale linked Ruto’s leadership to “Delivery,” arguing that it complements democracy by ensuring services reach the people.
He envisioned a Kenya where freedoms are protected and services reach citizens without fail.
Duale also used symbolic language, likening ODM’s orange to UDA’s yellow as not opposites but shades of the same hope.
“Yellow might be the future we saw in Orange,” he added.
He wished ODM a happy 20th anniversary for its “struggle, sacrifice, and steadfast belief in our democracy.”