Wahome, Waiguru pile pressure on defiant Duale as NCIC hate speech probe gathers pace

Pressure mounted on Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale yesterday after Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome and Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru demanded that he withdraw controversial remarks about the Kikuyu community and issue an unconditional public apology, even as he vowed to defy any summons from the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) unless former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is also investigated.

The escalating row has widened into a political showdown over ethnic rhetoric, with senior government leaders publicly rebuking one of their Cabinet colleagues while the NCIC presses ahead with investigations into whether his remarks amounted to ethnic profiling or hate speech.

In a strongly worded statement, Wahome criticised Duale for remaining unapologetic despite growing calls for him to retract the comments.

“Hon. Aden Duale, your recent remarks against the Kikuyu community have brought out the worst in you. You have been called to apologise but you said no because, according to you, other people have made worse mistakes,” she said.

Wahome dismissed Duale’s argument that other politicians had made more inflammatory remarks without attracting similar criticism, insisting that comparisons could not excuse his conduct.

“Two wrongs don’t make a right. You should withdraw your remarks and apologise profusely,” she said.

Her remarks came barely a day after Duale declared that he would not apologise, dismissing the criticism as politically driven.

Speaking during a resource mobilisation event at Karare Primary School in Saku Constituency, Marsabit County, on Saturday, the Health CS told supporters he would not retreat from his position despite the backlash.

“Do not worry about the issues you are seeing on social media. I am not going to apologise. Do you expect me to back down from my stance?” Duale posed.

Appearing to draw parallels with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s controversial “shareholding” remarks, Duale argued that his critics had ignored statements he considered far more divisive.

“There is no worse form of hate speech than someone standing up and declaring that another person has no share in this government and therefore will not get a job opportunity,” he said.

The controversy stems from remarks Duale made during a community empowerment event in Lafey Constituency, Mandera County, where critics accused him of making ethnically charged comments targeting members of the Kikuyu community following the outcome of the recent Ol Kalou by-election.

Facing mounting criticism, Duale issued a statement on Friday insisting that his remarks had been taken out of context.

He explained that the Somali proverb, “Waraabe la-tagis bartay, ka-ridis waa ku dhib,” was a figurative expression referring to the difficulty of abandoning long-held habits or entrenched advantages and was never intended to insult or profile any community.

The proverb loosely translates to “old habits die hard,” while its literal meaning is: “A hyena that has become accustomed to carrying something is difficult to make put it down.”

According to Duale, his speech centred on national inclusivity and the government’s commitment to ensuring equal opportunities for all Kenyans regardless of ethnicity or region.

He also accused critics of applying double standards by condemning him while remaining silent over what he termed inflammatory remarks directed at the Somali community.

The NCIC has since opened what it described as a “thorough and impartial inquiry” after receiving a formal complaint over the remarks.

In a statement issued on Friday, NCIC Chairman Bishop Dr Kepha Nyamweya Omae said the commission would determine whether Duale’s statements violated Article 33 of the Constitution and Sections 13 and 62 of the National Cohesion and Integration Act.

The commission also urged political leaders to exercise restraint and avoid inflammatory rhetoric as political activity intensifies ahead of the 2027 General Election.

However, speaking during a wedding ceremony in Garissa Town on Sunday, Duale dramatically escalated the standoff, declaring that he would ignore any summons from the commission unless Gachagua was investigated over remarks allegedly directed at the Somali and Muslim communities.

“I want to tell NCIC, the day you are going to summon Rigathi Gachagua is the day you are going to summon Aden Duale. The day I appear before NCIC, I will walk in together with Rigathi Gachagua,” he said.

The Cabinet Secretary maintained that he would not cooperate with the commission unless it demonstrated fairness in enforcing the law.

“If you do not bring Rigathi Gachagua before you for the statements he made about the Somali community and Muslims, you cannot write me a letter. I will not comply,” he declared.

Duale accused the former Deputy President of repeatedly making divisive remarks, including questioning the appointment of Somalis to senior security positions and making derogatory comments about Somali business people.

“You stood on a public platform and asked why Somalis had been appointed to senior security positions. You insulted our business community in Eastleigh. We remained silent, and you thought we were fools,” he said.

He argued that if the commission was serious about combating hate speech, it should investigate all leaders equally regardless of their political affiliations.

The Health CS also used the occasion to rally support for President William Ruto’s re-election, saying leaders from North Eastern Kenya and the country’s pastoralist regions would mobilise more than five million votes for the President in the next General Election.

“We, the leaders from Wajir, Garissa, Mandera, Marsabit, Isiolo, Tana River and the entire pastoralist region, will mobilise more than five million votes for William Ruto,” he said.

According to Duale, President Ruto had earned the region’s support by ending decades of discrimination against the Somali community in the issuance of identity cards, passports and birth certificates.

“For more than 60 years, the Somali community was discriminated against in accessing identity cards, passports and birth certificates. President Ruto came, saw the problem and changed it,” he said.

He also credited the administration with improving infrastructure through projects such as the Isiolo-Mandera road and decentralising passport services to Garissa.

“We will re-elect President Ruto because he has brought equality to the Republic of Kenya more than any other President. He has shown that Kenya is one nation and all communities are equal,” Duale said.

Meanwhile, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru joined the growing chorus of leaders condemning the Health CS, describing his remarks as “deeply regrettable” and warning against attributing the government’s political setbacks to ethnicity.

“The ethnic profiling remarks made by CS Aden Duale in response to the Ol Kalou by-election are deeply regrettable. It is both overly simplistic and dangerous to reduce the government’s political challenges to tribal prejudice, especially when this very Kikuyu community stood with us so overwhelmingly in the past,” she said.

Addressing Duale directly, Waiguru added: “Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, given your stature and long experience in politics, such utterances are wholly unacceptable. An apology is not only necessary, it is owed to the people of Kenya.”

She urged political leaders to exercise restraint as the country edges closer to the 2027 elections.

“As we move toward the General Election, let us embrace responsibility and sobriety in our words and actions. Kenya belongs to all of us, Kikuyus included, and our unity must never be undermined by careless rhetoric,” she said.

While Wahome and Waiguru called for an apology, Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei defended Duale, accusing the NCIC of selective enforcement and insisting that Gachagua should also be investigated over previous remarks targeting the Somali community.