Kenya: Waiguru Demands Duale Apology Over 'Deeply Regrettable' Ethnic Profiling Remarks

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Capital FM report from Nairobi dated July 24, 2026, reported that Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has called on Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale to apologise over remarks that critics have described as ethnic profiling. Waiguru, a senior figure in the Kenya Kwanza alliance, said the comments were regrettable and risky, arguing that Kenya’s political difficulties should not be framed through ethnic blame.

According to the report, Waiguru said Duale’s standing and long political experience made the remarks especially unacceptable. She also noted that the Kikuyu community had strongly backed the Kenya Kwanza administration in past elections, and urged leaders to use restraint as the country moves toward the 2027 General Election. Her intervention adds pressure on Duale amid wider criticism from across the political spectrum.

The controversy stems from comments Duale reportedly made at a community empowerment event in Lafey Constituency, Mandera County. Capital FM reported that, in a widely shared video in which he spoke in Somali, Duale praised President William Ruto for restoring dignity to the Somali community, then alleged that some communities believed others should not prosper in Kenya. Critics interpreted the remarks as aimed at the Kikuyu community, even though the broader speech also referred to government projects and changes to identity card vetting in North Eastern Kenya.

The report said senators including Abdul Haji, Ledama Olekina and Enoch Wambua, as well as East African Legislative Assembly MP Falhada Iman, condemned the remarks as divisive. The episode matters because Kenyan leaders are under renewed scrutiny over ethnic rhetoric ahead of the 2027 polls, with lawmakers warning that public officials have a duty to protect national cohesion.