Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has come to the defense of the Director General for Health, Dr. Patrick Amoth, amid allegations that the senior official is being sidelined and underutilized within the Ministry of Health.

Appearing before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Health on Wednesday, CS Duale emphasized that Dr. Amoth is the government’s lead technical adviser on health matters and he plays a central role in the ministry’s operations as stipulated in law.

“When I assumed office at the Ministry of Health 36 days ago, I reviewed Sections 16 and 17 of the Health Act and discovered that the office of the Director General was not being utilized optimally,” Duale told the committee.

He continued, “I want to confirm to this House, and for the record, that I held a meeting with all the ministry’s directors and Principal Secretaries where I made it clear that the DG is the technical head of all directorates and divisions in the ministry.”

Duale underscored that his push to empower the Director General is grounded in the law and not personal preference.

“It is not me creating this role—it is the law,” he stated. “Some people have been made to believe that the DG has no meaningful role in the ministry. That is false. Everyone in that ministry, including myself, holds an appointment with defined roles. I expect each person to work within the bounds of that appointment.” Said Duale

The CS further clarified the division of responsibilities within the ministry, noting that while he will focus on policy matters, budgetary and operational issues will be handled by Dr. Ouma Oluga, the Medical Services Principal Secretary, and other senior officials.

His remarks come in the wake of growing concerns over internal tensions and perceived marginalization of Dr. Amoth, who has served in the position since 2018 and played a prominent role during Kenya’s COVID-19 response.