Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has publicly called on Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale to apologise over remarks he made following the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, accusing him of promoting an ethnic narrative that risks undermining national unity ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Taking to her official X account on Friday, July 24, 2026, Waiguru described Duale’s comments as “deeply regrettable”, saying it was wrong to attribute the government’s political challenges to tribal prejudice.

“The ethnic profiling remarks made by CS Aden Duale in response to the Ol Kalou by-election are deeply regrettable. It is both overly simplistic and dangerous to reduce the government’s political challenges to tribal prejudice, especially when this very Kikuyu community stood with us so overwhelmingly in the past,” Waiguru said.

She added that Duale, given his long political experience, should have exercised greater restraint.

“Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, given your stature and long experience in politics, such utterances are wholly unacceptable. An apology is not only necessary, it is owed to the people of Kenya.”

The governor further urged political leaders to embrace responsible leadership as campaigns towards the next General Election gather momentum.

“As we move toward the General Election, let us embrace responsibility and sobriety in our words and actions. Kenya belongs to all of us, Kikuyus included, and our unity must never be undermined by careless rhetoric.”

Remarks followed Ol Kalou by-election defeat

Waiguru’s statement comes days after the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, which delivered a major political setback to the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition after the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) candidate defeated the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate in what many analysts viewed as a significant political statement from the Mt Kenya region.

The by-election was closely watched nationally because it was the first major electoral contest in the region since the political fallout between President William Ruto and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Following the loss, Duale dismissed attempts to portray the result as a referendum on President Ruto’s administration.

Speaking during a public event in Lafey, Mandera County, the Health Cabinet Secretary argued that the Ol Kalou contest was essentially between DCP and Jubilee rather than Kenya Kwanza, insisting the ruling coalition remained firmly on course for the 2027 elections.

However, comments attributed to Duale regarding voting patterns and the role of ethnicity in the by-election generated criticism from a section of political leaders, who argued that such narratives risked inflaming ethnic divisions.

Waiguru breaks ranks

Waiguru’s criticism is notable because she has remained one of President Ruto’s key allies in the Mt Kenya region and was among senior UDA leaders who actively campaigned for the party’s candidate during the Ol Kalou by-election.

Throughout the campaign period, the Kirinyaga governor urged voters to retain the constituency within government, arguing that electing the UDA candidate would ensure continued access to national development programmes and ongoing projects.

Ol Kalou by-election continues to shape politics

The Ol Kalou race has emerged as one of the country’s most politically significant by-elections, attracting intense campaigning from both Kenya Kwanza and the opposition.

The campaign period was marked by allegations of voter intimidation, violence and attacks on journalists, prompting investigations by security agencies and renewed calls for peaceful elections.

The outcome has since triggered a wider debate over Kenya Kwanza’s political standing in Mt Kenya and the implications for the 2027 presidential race.

While government leaders have downplayed the significance of the defeat, opposition figures have described it as evidence of shifting political dynamics in one of Kenya’s most influential voting blocs.