Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has declared that he will only appear before the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) if the commission first summons former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over what he described as tribal and inflammatory remarks targeting the Somali community and Muslims.
Speaking in Garissa on Sunday, July 26, 2026, Duale openly challenged the commission, accusing it of applying double standards by aggressively pursuing government officials while allegedly ignoring opposition leaders accused of making divisive statements. He maintained that he would not honour any summons from the commission unless Gachagua was subjected to the same process.
“I want to tell the NCIC that the day you summon Rigathi Gachagua is the day you will also summon Aden Duale. I will appear with my lawyer, Ahmednasir Abdullahi. Rigathi, you should come with your lawyers,” the Cabinet Secretary said.
Duale insisted that if the commission was genuinely committed to fighting hate speech, then it should begin by investigating Gachagua before turning its attention to him.
“If there is anyone who has made hate speech, then the number one person in Kenya is Rigathi Gachagua. He has never apologized for it. You can even insult me on social media if you want,” said Duale.
The Health CS argued that the former Deputy President had repeatedly made remarks that he believes were offensive to the Somali community and Muslims, yet the commission had allegedly failed to take action.
Speaking to supporters in Garissa, Duale accused the NCIC of selectively enforcing the law, claiming that government officials are subjected to scrutiny over remarks while opposition politicians are allowed to make similar or worse statements without consequences.
“So, summon me together with Rigathi Gachagua. In fact, he should go in first and be questioned, and only then should I, as a Cabinet Secretary, be questioned. If you do not bring Rigathi Gachagua over the insults he directed at the Somali community and Muslims, I will not even acknowledge your letter. And I will not comply,” he stated.
The Cabinet Secretary further claimed that Gachagua has continued making what he termed hateful statements over time while the commission has chosen to turn a blind eye.
Duale also maintained that he would not apologise for remarks he made recently in Lafey, Mandera County, insisting that his comments had been misunderstood. According to him, the statement was based on a traditional Somali proverb referring to dismantling entrenched privilege and was never intended to target or incite any ethnic community.
He reiterated that his remarks were a cultural figure of speech and not an attack against any group. For that reason, he insisted that he had no reason to apologise and would instead continue engaging his community while supporting the government’s development agenda.
The remarks come after the National Cohesion and Integration Commission confirmed that it had opened investigations into statements allegedly made by the Cabinet Secretary during a public event in Mandera County.
In a statement issued on Friday, the commission announced that its Investigations Department had launched an inquiry into the alleged utterances.
“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 surrounding the said utterances,” the commission said.
Despite the ongoing investigations, Duale remained defiant, insisting that he would not cooperate with the commission unless Gachagua was equally held accountable.
The Cabinet Secretary also dismissed suggestions that his political experience could be compared to that of the former Deputy President.
“I joined politics in 2005. You joined politics the other day, and you are no match for me,” Duale said.
Even as he defended his remarks and challenged the NCIC, Duale shifted his attention to the 2027 General Election, unveiling what he described as an ambitious political mobilisation strategy aimed at delivering overwhelming support for President William Ruto across Kenya’s pastoralist regions.
He announced that leaders from pastoralist counties had already embarked on an aggressive campaign to ensure eligible citizens register as voters and that those without national identity cards acquire the necessary documents ahead of the next General Election.
“We have already started aggressive campaigns to ensure all eligible voters register and that those without identity cards obtain the documents,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary said he would personally spearhead efforts to consolidate at least five million votes from pastoralist counties in support of President William Ruto’s re-election bid.
“We will mobilise our community according to our numbers to elect President William Ruto for a second term,” he declared.
Duale argued that the support being mobilised for President Ruto was not based on ethnic considerations but on what he described as the President’s commitment to equality and inclusivity.
“We are not electing President Ruto because he is a Kalenjin, but because he has brought equality to all Kenyans more than any President before him, especially us Somalis,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary praised President Ruto’s administration for addressing long-standing challenges faced by residents of Northern Kenya, particularly in accessing essential government services.
According to Duale, previous administrations had subjected communities in the region to decades of discrimination when seeking identity cards, birth certificates and passports.
“For more than 60 years, it was extremely difficult for our people to obtain identity cards, birth certificates and passports. That is no longer the case,” he stated.
He said the government’s reforms had significantly improved access to identification documents, allowing more citizens to participate fully in national development and democratic processes.
Duale maintained that these achievements were among the reasons the Somali community and the wider pastoralist regions would strongly support President Ruto’s bid for a second term in office.
He reiterated that his mobilisation efforts would focus on ensuring every eligible resident registers as a voter while encouraging those without national identity cards to obtain the documents before the next election.
The Health Cabinet Secretary has consistently denied accusations that his Lafey speech amounted to ethnic incitement, maintaining that his remarks have been taken out of context.
As investigations by the NCIC continue, Duale has remained firm in his position that he will only appear before the commission if former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is summoned first, arguing that the law should be applied fairly and equally to all leaders regardless of whether they serve in government or the opposition.
At the same time, the Cabinet Secretary has intensified political mobilisation across the pastoralist counties, expressing confidence that the region will deliver five million votes to President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election while insisting that the support is rooted in the administration’s record of inclusion, equality and expanded access to government services for historically marginalised communities.