Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has faced criticism from senators over remarks in a viral video that lawmakers said risk promoting ethnic divisions ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The matter was raised during Thursday’s Senate sitting, where legislators from both the majority and minority sides expressed concern over statements they said could create tension among communities.
Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina cautioned leaders against comparing communities, arguing that such remarks risk reopening wounds from Kenya’s history of political violence.
“I listened to my good friend and the CS for Health making a comparison of two communities in public, creating one community as more superior than the other. We need to avoid such statements because they can drag this country back to the trenches where we were in 2007,” Ole Kina said.
The senator called on political leaders to move away from tribal rhetoric and instead promote unity among Kenyans.
“Let’s do away with this issue of tribalism. We should not allow younger generations to view each other through the lens of tribe. We must unite Kenyans and avoid division,” he said.
Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua also criticised the alleged remarks, saying leaders holding public positions must be careful when discussing issues touching on ethnicity.
Wambua said the statements, which he claimed portrayed one community as superior to another, were dangerous and could increase tensions in the country.
“We are heading into very dangerous ground, and the utterances of our leaders must be checked. We know what happened after the 2007 elections. We must make it clear that all Kenyan communities are equal citizens of this country,” Wambua said.
Garissa Senator Abdul Haji said he had watched the circulated video after it was shared with him by Wambua and described the remarks as inappropriate if they were accurately captured.
“If leaders make such emotive statements, they can bring disharmony in the country. I should ordinarily stand to support the CS for Health, but if he made those remarks after listening to the clip, it is wrong,” Haji said.
However, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi stopped further debate on the matter, reminding lawmakers that parliamentary rules require a substantive motion before discussing the conduct of a Cabinet Secretary.
“Do not discuss a Cabinet Secretary without moving a motion. Kindly file a motion and pursue it as required by law,” Kingi directed.
The senators were responding to a widely shared video in which Duale is alleged to have compared the Somali and Kikuyu communities by population size and discussed what he described as historical discrimination against Somalis during previous administrations.
In the video, Duale, while speaking in vernacular, credited President William Ruto’s administration with ending what he described as past discriminatory practices.
The controversy comes at a time when political leaders have intensified campaigns and public engagements ahead of the 2027 General Election, with calls growing for leaders to avoid statements that could deepen ethnic divisions.
