Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has defended controversial remarks he made in Mandera County, insisting they were taken out of context, even as the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) launched investigations into allegations that he made ethnically inciteful comments targeting the Kikuyu community.
The Commission on Friday confirmed it had opened an inquiry following complaints over remarks attributed to the Health Cabinet Secretary that have been widely circulated on social media.
In a statement, NCIC said its Investigations Department was conducting “a thorough and impartial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the said utterances.”
The Commission welcomed members of the public who reported the matter and urged Kenyans to continue reporting cases of divisive political rhetoric and ethnic profiling.
“We cannot afford to watch this country slide into anarchy, especially through utterances that divide communities,” NCIC said, adding that if substantiated, the remarks could contravene Article 33 of the Constitution and Section 13 and 62 of the National Cohesion and Integration Act.
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The controversy stems from a video recorded during a public event in Lafey Constituency, Mandera County, last Tuesday.
In the footage, Duale, speaking in Somali, praised the Kenya Kwanza administration for restoring what he described as the dignity of the Somali community through the issuance of national identity cards and the rollout of development projects across the North Eastern region.
He then made remarks that appeared to target the Kikuyu community, claiming they believed “no one else should live in Kenya” before likening them to hyenas. He also criticized the administrations of former Presidents Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta, accusing them of neglecting the North Eastern region and denying many residents access to national identity cards.
The remarks sparked widespread political criticism.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru described the comments as “deeply regrettable,” warning that it was dangerous to reduce political challenges to ethnic divisions.
“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,” Waiguru said.
Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga also condemned the remarks, accusing Duale of disparaging the Kikuyu community and former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The issue also reached the Senate on Thursday, where lawmakers temporarily suspended business to condemn the remarks. Several senators demanded an apology and urged political leaders to refrain from statements that could inflame ethnic tensions.
However, Duale rejected the accusations, saying his remarks had been deliberately distorted.
“I have been widely misquoted and my remarks delivered in Lafey Constituency have been taken out of context to advance false and misleading narratives,” he said in a statement posted on his X account.
The Cabinet Secretary explained that the phrase “Waraabe la-tagis bartay, ka-ridis waa ku dhib,”—translated as a reference to a hyena—is a common Somali proverb rather than an insult directed at any community.
“It is a figurative expression about the difficulty of ending entrenched habits or long-enjoyed advantages. It was never directed at any community or intended to demean anyone,” he said.
According to Duale, his speech was intended to emphasize the government’s commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity for all Kenyans.
“My message was about the importance of embracing inclusivity as the Government continues to ensure that all Kenyans, regardless of their region or ethnicity, have an opportunity to serve the nation,” he said
He dismissed allegations of ethnic incitement as “dishonest and a deliberate distortion” of his remarks, maintaining that he remains committed to national unity, peaceful coexistence and equal opportunity for all Kenyans.
