The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has publicly rebuked Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale for statements he allegedly made targeting the Kikuyu community, faulting him for refusing to apologize.
In a statement issued Sunday, July 26, Wahome revealed that Duale had been asked to retract his remarks but declined, reportedly arguing that others had committed worse offenses without facing similar backlash.
Click here to join our WhatsApp Channel
She said such reasoning did not excuse what she viewed as offensive comments and pressed Duale to reconsider his stance, withdraw the statements, and issue a formal apology.
Duale, responding to the growing criticism, maintained that his comments had been taken out of context and misrepresented. In a statement released Friday, July 24, he claimed the backlash stemmed from a distorted narrative and insisted his remarks were never meant to target or belittle any particular community.
He explained that the controversial phrase — “Waraabe la-tagis bartay, ka-ridis waa ku dhib” — is a traditional Somali proverb used figuratively to illustrate how difficult it can be to give up long-standing habits or privileges, and said it was not aimed at any ethnic group.
According to Duale, his broader point was about promoting inclusivity, noting that the government continues working to ensure Kenyans from every region and community have a fair chance to serve the nation. He rejected accusations that his words constituted ethnic incitement, calling such interpretations a dishonest twisting of his actual message.
Duale further accused some of his critics of selective outrage, pointing out that many of those now condemning his remarks had stayed silent in the past when inflammatory comments were directed at the Somali community.
He called on public leaders to apply consistent standards rather than react selectively based on which community is targeted.
