Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina/SCREENGRABThree senators on Thursday criticised Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale over remarks captured in a viral video, warning that such statements could heighten ethnic tensions.
The issue was raised during the Senate's afternoon sitting, where lawmakers expressed concern over what they described as public remarks comparing two communities.
Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina cautioned leaders against making statements that could inflame ethnic divisions, saying Kenya's history should serve as a reminder of the dangers of divisive rhetoric.
"I heard my good friend and the CS for Health making a comparison of two communities in public. It is wrong. We should not be making such comments, failure to which this country will go back to 2007 when there was post-election violence. Remember the times we are in ahead of elections," Ole Kina said.
Ole Kina urged political leaders and public officials to exercise restraint in their public utterances, stressing that careless remarks could reopen wounds left by the 2007/08 post-election violence.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, however, directed that any further discussion on the matter should be brought before the House through a substantive motion, in line with parliamentary procedures.
Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua also faulted the Cabinet Secretary’s alleged remarks, saying leaders must exercise restraint in their public statements.
“We are headed to very dangerous ground, and utterances of our leaders should be checked. The utterances of CS Duale, trying to raise one community over another—we know what happened in 2007. We must put Duale on the spot. The utterances he made were wrong,” Wambua said.
Garissa Senator Abdul Haji said he had watched the video after it was shared with him by Senator Wambua and described its contents as disturbing.
“Senator Wambua has given me that clip and I have watched it, and it is very bad that a leader can go ahead and make such utterances. If it were justified, I would be here defending CS Duale, but I am not. I will wait for Senator Wambua to come up with a motion so that we can ventilate the motion on Duale’s remarks,” he said.
However, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi stopped further discussion, reminding senators that Cabinet Secretaries cannot be debated on the floor without a substantive motion.
“Don’t discuss a Cabinet Secretary without moving a motion. Kindly file a motion and pursue it as required by law,” Kingi directed.
The senators were reacting to a widely circulated video in which Duale is alleged to have compared the Somali and Kikuyu communities by population.
He further alleges that past administrations discriminated against Somalis, including by denying many the opportunity to obtain national identity cards.
