A war of words between Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua escalated, with Duale saying he will only respond to any future summons from the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) if the commission also orders Gachagua to appear before it.
The controversy traces back to remarks Duale made in his native Somali during the Lafey event. Critics interpreted the comments as divisive and aimed at the Kikuyu community.
Duale rejected the accusations, saying people took his remarks out of context and deliberately misrepresented them.
“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.
The Cabinet Secretary added that the controversial phrase – “Waraabe la-tagis bartay, ka-ridis waa ku dhib” – is a familiar Somali proverb that the community has long passed down through oral tradition.
“It is a figurative expression about the difficulty of breaking deeply rooted habits or long-enjoyed advantages. It never targeted any community, and it never meant to demean anyone,” Duale said.
He further said his speech focused on inclusivity and on the government’s commitment to giving all Kenyans, regardless of ethnicity or region, equal chances to serve the country.
“My message highlighted the need to embrace inclusivity as the government continues to ensure that all Kenyans, irrespective of their region or ethnicity, get an opportunity to serve the nation,” he said.
Duale accused his critics of twisting his remarks for political gain and faulted what he called selective condemnation of leaders’ statements.
“Attempts to portray my remarks as ethnic incitement are dishonest and deliberately distort what I said,” he said.
After the public backlash and complaints people lodged with the NCIC, Rigathi Gachagua stepped up his criticism while speaking to supporters in Embu. He accused Duale of acting as a government mouthpiece.
“Duale does not speak for himself. He delivers that kind of harsh political rhetoric on instruction,” Gachagua claimed.
He also claimed that Duale’s remarks matched a wider political plan by the Kenya Kwanza administration.
The NCIC later said it had opened investigations into the comments.
However, Duale took a defiant stance when he spoke during a wedding ceremony at a hotel in Garissa on Sunday. He accused Gachagua of driving ethnic division and challenged the commission over what he called uneven enforcement of the law.
“I want to tell the NCIC that the day you summon Rigathi Gachagua, that is the day you summon Aden Duale,” Duale said.
He said he would not show up at the commission before Gachagua appears.
“When the NCIC summons me, I will go with Rigathi Gachagua. When I go with my lawyers, Gachagua should go with his. But I will not go to the NCIC offices before Gachagua does,” he said.
Duale also said Gachagua repeatedly made statements that, in his view, deepened ethnic divisions in the country.
“If anyone has consistently spread hate speech in this country, it is Rigathi Gachagua. You carry out personal attacks on the president’s personality and character,” he said.
He further questioned why certain remarks he linked to Gachagua had drawn national attention but, according to him, had led to no consequences.
Duale also accused Gachagua of previously questioning the appointment of Somali community members to senior government roles, especially in the security sector.
“You are the same person who asked why people from the Somali community got appointed to senior government positions,” he said.
Duale added that Gachagua promoted ethnic politics by championing his own community while criticizing others for doing the same.
“You have, on countless occasions, stood on the podium bragging about your people. And when we speak up to defend our people, you shout from the rooftops and call us names. Do you think we are fools? We will speak for our community.”
Finally, Duale dismissed comparisons between his political experience and that of the former Deputy President.
“I entered politics in 2005. You joined politics recently, and you cannot match my experience,” he said.
