The Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Defense Aden Duale has launched his book ‘For the Record’ detailing his journey in the political arena from his perspective and the intricate nature of his life as a public servant.
Speaking in Nairobi, Duale said that the writing of his book has taken close to three years, noting that the idea was conceived during one of his lowest moments when he was fired as the leader of the majority party in the national assembly in June 2020.
“At that time, I was upset at the betrayal and was angry at the backstab from people. A few weeks later a former United State National Security Advisor, Mr. John Bolton sent me a package which had books that defined my thoughts and confirmed that I had a story to tell,” Duale disclosed.
He added that one day he consulted friends about writing a book then went to the bookshop and bought himself a book titled the Deep state, the form of the constitution and the emergency of a shadow Government by a renowned New York Times writer.
“This book is about the story of my life, my earliest memories as a young man in Garissa as well as politics, power, leadership and about public policy,” he noted.
The CS wrote about how he entered politics and how he has worked closely with all the key leaders in Kenya highlighting courage, loyalty and friendship as he cited a chapter titled 22 minutes in Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) where he served for 7 years and 6 months and was crushed in half an hour.
He said that politics can get too personal and affect people’s lives and therefore urged politicians on the need to work for the people who elect them.
Duale stated that he dedicated the book to his late mother in appreciation for teaching him all the values and to the youths, he advised young leaders who are excited about being in public office to ensure they deliver what they promise the electorate and hope his book will help them get more political essence.
“You can get my book from the website or from Nureia bookshop, Prestige bookshop, Yahya bookshop, Kibanka bookshop and many others at Ksh 3000. As from May 10, some 400 copies had already been sold and as of today, with our president gracing this occasion the sales have already surpassed 600 copies,” he announced, adding that part of the proceeds from the venture will go towards charity in honor of his late mother.
By Rebeccah Maria
