Pay Staff Salaries: Duale Hits Back at The Standard Over Bold Headline

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has hit back atThe Standardnewspaper after he was featured on its front page for the second time this week.
Bearing the headline “The Untouchables”, Duale was featured alongside the Social Health Authority (SHA) Chairperson, Abdi Mohamed, over their alleged involvement in theongoing SHA payments scandal.
Amid rumours of ghost facilities and mysterious SHA payments, Kenyans and politicians have been putting pressure on the pair, even calling for their resignation. However, Duale has so far denied any blame and exonerated the SHA chairperson.
Following the August 28 headline, the CS came out guns blazing, accusing the daily of ethnic bias and advising the media group to focus on paying its employees’ salary arrears instead.
He further defended his Ministry, claiming that it was working to ensure that healthcare became accessible to every Kenyan, no matter their background.
“The Standard gutter press has now embarked on a retrogressive ethnic profiling. My advice is for the chair and shareholders to pay their staff salaries that are due for the last 12 months,” Duale lamented.
“The Kenya healthcare delivery is undergoing a major transformation under UHC (Taifa care) that is accessible, affordable, equitable and quality healthcare for the people, period.”
Just hours ago, Dualeresponded to the resignation callsin a statement in which he expressed confidence in his 20-year record in public service, which he claimed to be spotless.
As such, he relayed that he was willing to present himself for grilling before any oversight body, including Parliamentary committees, to prove he was not involved in the recently uncovered multibillion-shilling SHA fraud
“My career in public service spans over 20 years, a significant portion of which was spent in the corridors of Parliament in various leadership roles. My record on integrity and declaration of assets is a matter of public record, detailed in the Hansard from my vetting process,” Duale said.
“I am ready and willing to present myself before any parliamentary committee or oversight body to account for every asset I own.”
Duale was responding to calls by several leaders, particularly those aligned to the emerging Kenya Moja movement, led by Edwin Sifuna, that he resign within 48 hours. They also claimed that they had evidence linking the CS to the fraud.