Ministry of Health must respect DG Patrick Amoth’s position, says Duale
Duale said the Director General’s role is not only important but firmly anchored in law, and cannot be ignored or diminished.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has made it clear that Director General for Health Dr. Patrick Amoth remains central to the ministry’s work, pushing back against claims that the senior official has been sidelined by top ministry officials.
Duale, who was speaking before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Health on Wednesday, said the Director General’s role is not only important but firmly anchored in law, and cannot be ignored or diminished.
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“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 utilised optimally,” he told the committee.
He said he immediately acted to restore clarity on the DG’s position and called for a meeting with all directors and Principal Secretaries to address the issue.
“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," the CS said.
Duale pointed out that his decision to uphold Amoth’s position was based on existing legal provisions and had nothing to do with personal preference or internal politics.
“It is not me creating this role—it is the law,” he said.
The CS also pushed back against narratives suggesting the DG lacks authority within the ministry.
“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 me, holds an appointment with defined roles. I expect each person to work within the bounds of that appointment,” Duale added.
Duale explained that responsibilities in the ministry are distributed. He said he would continue to oversee policy direction, while operational issues and budget oversight would fall under the Medical Services Principal Secretary, Dr. Ouma Oluga, and other senior leaders.
Dr. Amoth has served as Director General since 2018 and gained national attention for his role in leading Kenya’s COVID-19 response. His recent absence from the public spotlight had raised concerns about whether his influence had been reduced.
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