Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has declared that he will only honour a summons from the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) if the commission first compels former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to appear before it over alleged hate speech remarks.
The controversy follows comments Duale made in his native Somali language during a public event in Lafey, Mandera County. Critics interpreted the remarks as divisive and directed at the Kikuyu community, prompting public criticism and formal complaints to the NCIC.
In a statement issued on Friday, the commission confirmed that it had opened investigations into the allegations, saying it was treating the matter with impartiality.
“The National Cohesion and Integration Commission acknowledges receipt of a complaint regarding alleged utterances by Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale. Our Investigations Department is conducting a thorough and impartial inquiry into the circumstances of the said utterances,” the commission said.
Speaking during a wedding ceremony in Garissa Town on Sunday, Duale dismissed calls for an apology or retraction, maintaining that his remarks had been misunderstood and insisting he had committed no offence.
Instead, he challenged the commission to demonstrate consistency in enforcing laws against hate speech by first summoning Gachagua, whom he accused of repeatedly making ethnically divisive statements.
“I want to tell the NCIC that the day you are going to summon Rigathi Gachagua is the day you are going to summon Aden Duale,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary maintained that he would not appear before the commission unless the former Deputy President was also required to answer similar allegations.
“When the NCIC summons me, I must also be accompanied by Rigathi Gachagua. When I am accompanied by my lawyers, Gachagua should also have his. But one thing I will not do is go to the NCIC offices before Gachagua does,” Duale said.
He accused Gachagua of being the country’s leading promoter of ethnic division, alleging that the former Deputy President had repeatedly made inflammatory remarks without facing legal consequences.
“If there is one person who has consistently spread hate speech in this country, it is Rigathi Gachagua. You do personal attacks on the personality and the character of the President,” he said.
Duale revisited several controversial statements previously attributed to Gachagua, arguing that they had attracted widespread public attention but had not resulted in action by the relevant authorities.
He cited claims allegedly made by Gachagua during President William Ruto’s visit to Mandera, where the former Deputy President reportedly suggested that the President had held discussions with the Al-Shabaab militant group.
“You, Rigathi Gachagua, who is now busy talking about me, are the same person who, when the President visited Mandera, shamelessly stood on the podium and claimed that President Ruto had met with Al-Shabaab,” Duale said.
He further accused Gachagua of alleging that identity cards were being issued to Somali nationals from neighbouring Somalia and of questioning the nationality of a prominent Somali businessman.
“You even claimed that identity cards were being issued to Somalis from Somalia. You went ahead and soiled the good name of one of our sons, one of the country’s biggest entrepreneurs, claiming that he was not a Kenyan, and we kept quiet,” he added.
The Health CS also accused Gachagua of previously questioning the appointment of members of the Somali community to senior government positions, particularly within the country’s security agencies.
“You are the same person who questioned why people from the Somali community have been appointed to senior government positions, especially in the security sector,” he said.
According to Duale, Gachagua had consistently advanced ethnic politics by openly championing the interests of his own community while criticising leaders from other communities for doing the same.
“You have on countless occasions stood on the podium bragging about your people. And when we now come out to defend our people, you are shouting on the rooftops and calling us names. Do you think we are stupid? We will speak for our community,” Duale said.
He also dismissed comparisons between his political experience and that of the former Deputy President, saying he had been active in politics for much longer.
“I joined politics in 2005. You joined politics the other day and you are no match for me,” he said.
Even as he defended his remarks, Duale shifted focus to preparations for the 2027 General Election, outlining what he described as an ambitious political mobilization strategy to deliver overwhelming support for President Ruto across Kenya’s pastoralist counties.
He said he would spearhead efforts to rally at least five million votes from pastoralist regions in support of President Ruto’s bid for a second term.
“We have already started aggressive campaigns to ensure all eligible voters register as voters and that those without identity cards obtain the documents,” he said.
“We will mobilize our community according to our numbers to elect President William Ruto for a second term,” he added.
Duale argued that the President had earned the support of the Somali community not because of ethnicity but because of what he described as an unprecedented level of inclusivity in government appointments and national leadership.
The Cabinet Secretary has consistently denied allegations that his Lafey speech amounted to ethnic incitement, maintaining that his comments have been misinterpreted and insisting that he remains committed to national unity and peaceful coexistence.
By Erick Kyalo
