Ruto CS Forced To Defend Anti-Kikuyu Remarks As NCIC Closes In
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has defended his recent controversial remarks in Mandera County, claiming they were taken out of context.
This comes after the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) initiated an investigation following charges that he made ethnically charged remarks toward the Kikuyu community.
The Commission stated on Friday that it had begun an investigation in response to complaints over remarks attributed to the Health Cabinet Secretary that had been widely circulated on social media.
In a statement, NCIC stated that its Investigations Department is undertaking “a thorough and impartial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the said utterances.”
The Commission said it welcomed members of the public who had reported the matter and urged Kenyans to continue reporting cases of divisive political rhetoric and ethnic profiling.
@NCIC_Kenya
Today, I lodged a formal complaint with the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) against CS Aden Duale over alleged ethnic incitement, profiling of the Kikuyu community, and inflammatory public remarks that threaten national cohesion. No public official… pic.twitter.com/GQguWGscfw— ABDI NOOR (@AbdinurPeace) July 24, 2026
“We cannot afford to watch this country slide into anarchy, especially through utterances that divide communities,” NCIC said.
The commission added that if substantiated, the remarks could contravene Article 33 of the Constitution and Sections 13 and 62 of the National Cohesion and Integration Act.
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, praises the Kenya Kwanza administration for restoring what he describes 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.
Duale has been sent out by kasongo to profile Kikuyus.
Their only hope’s that the 41vs1 narrative will suffice.
I hope Murima folk are taking note how Ruto loathes them.
It’s only tribal, when it’s a Kikuyu. pic.twitter.com/uXtKtvJt1Q— Murima Maestro🇰🇪 (@MurimaMaestro) July 24, 2026
He then makes remarks appearing to target the Kikuyu community, claiming they believed “no one else should live in Kenya” before likening them to hyenas.
He also criticised the administrations of former Presidents Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta, accusing them of neglecting the North Eastern region and denying many residents national identity cards.
The remarks triggered a political storm, drawing condemnation from leaders across the political divide.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru described the comments as “deeply regrettable”.
Waiguru reiterated that it was “dangerous to reduce the government’s political challenges to tribal prejudice” and called on the Cabinet Secretary to issue an unconditional apology to Kenyans.
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…— Anne Waiguru EGH, OGW (@AnneWaiguru) July 24, 2026
“The ethnic profiling remarks made by CS Aden Duale in response to the Ol Kalou by-election are deeply regrettable,” said Waiguru.
“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.”
Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga also criticised Duale, accusing him of disparaging the Kikuyu community and former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
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The matter also spilt over to the Senate on Thursday, where senators temporarily suspended the day’s business to condemn the remarks.
Listening to this clip you wonder what did the Kikuyu community do to Duale to the extent he’s calling them hyenas? Tuambiwe ni ngamia ngapi tulips. The hatred is too much.
It took the Narok Senator and Kitui Senator to raise the alarming issue on the floor of the house.
So,… pic.twitter.com/aL25hC9mAS— Murage Ngunjiri (@jmuragengunjiri) July 23, 2026
Several lawmakers are demanding an apology and urging leaders to avoid rhetoric that could inflame ethnic tensions.
However, Duale has dismissed the accusations, saying his words have been deliberately misrepresented.
“I have been widely misquoted and my remarks delivered in Lafey Constituency have been taken out of context to advance false and misleading narratives,” the Cabinet Secretary said in a statement posted on his X account.
I have been widely misquoted and my remarks delivered in Lafey Constituency have been taken out of context to advance false and misleading narratives.
The phrase I used, “Waraabe la-tagis bartay, ka-ridis waa ku dhib,” is a well-known Somali proverb that has long been part of…— Hon. Aden Duale, EGH (@HonAdenDuale) July 24, 2026
Duale explained that the phrase “Waraabe la-tagis bartay, ka-ridis waa ku dhib,” – translated as a reference to a hyena – was a well-known Somali proverb and not an attack on 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 remarks were intended to underscore the government’s commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity.
Ruto CS Forced To Defend Anti-Kikuyu Remarks As NCIC Closes In
