Health CS Aden Duale on Friday reiterated the need for the country to remain united and shun leaders he says are hell-bent on fueling tribalism, hate, and violence among Kenyans.

Speaking to the press after joining fellow Muslims for Eid al-Adha prayers at Masjid Al-Abrar Mosque in Garissa, Duale said that the country has no room for such leaders.

“As Muslims, this is a day that we hold in high regard. It is a day of unity. And it is on this note that I want to use this opportunity to call for Kenyans’ unity. This is a call that has been started by His Excellency the President, where we all see each other as Kenyans and not along tribal, religious lines or based on where one comes from,” said Duale.

He added:

“We don’t want retrogressive political leaders who want to divide this country along tribal lines. We want one Kenya where both Muslims, Christians, and people of all faiths are treated equally and the country’s development is distributed fairly across the country.”

Duale used the opportunity to slam some opposition leaders, saying their interest is to divide the country.

 “They are busy forming tribal political parties day and night. And we know them. That is not the Kenya we want.”

Duale said that true leadership is about serving all citizens, not just one ethnic group, noting that leaders promoting tribalism are hindering national progress and fostering inequality.

Duale also used the opportunity to issue a clarion call to residents who are yet to register themselves under the Social Health Authority (SHA) to do so.

He regretted that the county was among those that have registered the least numbers, saying that he will soon lead the ministry, as well as county officials, in a major recruitment drive across all corners of the county, noting that registering is easy.

He disclosed that on Thursday alone, 71,000 Kenyans registered under the scheme—something he said was a clear indicator of how it had been embraced.

“So far, 23 million Kenyans have registered. But in Garissa, the numbers are staggering—it's close to 45,000 people only. We want to see Kenyans from the pastoral counties, where the enrollment is still low, do what is required of them because this scheme, which has a lot of benefits, will surely come in handy at your hour of need,” he said.