Nairobi — Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has demanded an apology from Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale over remarks widely criticised as ethnic profiling, describing his comments as "deeply regrettable," "dangerous" and unworthy of a leader of his experience.

Waiguru, a senior Kenya Kwanza leader, said reducing the government's political challenges to tribal prejudice risked undermining national unity, particularly as the country heads toward the 2027 General Election.

"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," Waiguru said on Friday.

She reminded Duale that the Kikuyu community had overwhelmingly supported the Kenya Kwanza administration in previous elections and said his remarks were unacceptable.

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"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," she said.

Waiguru urged political leaders to exercise restraint ahead of the next General Election.

"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."

Her remarks add to growing criticism facing the Health Cabinet Secretary following comments he made during a community empowerment event in Lafey Constituency, Mandera County.

In a video that has since circulated widely on social media, Duale, speaking in Somali, praised President William Ruto for restoring what he described as the dignity of the Somali community before alleging that some communities believed no one else should prosper in Kenya.

He claimed that "they have said that nobody else will live well in Kenya except them" and further suggested that "Kenya is ours and nobody else will live in Kenya."

Critics interpreted the remarks as targeting the Kikuyu community, overshadowing the rest of his speech, which focused on government development projects and the abolition of additional vetting requirements for national identity cards in the North Eastern region.

The remarks have since attracted bipartisan condemnation.

On Thursday, senators from across the political divide criticised the comments, warning that leaders have a constitutional duty to promote national cohesion and avoid rhetoric that could inflame ethnic tensions ahead of the 2027 elections.

Garissa Senator Abdul Haji, Narok Senator Ledama Olekina and Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua were among lawmakers who described the remarks as divisive and cautioned against language reminiscent of the period preceding the 2007/08 post-election violence.

East African Legislative Assembly MP Falhada Iman also condemned the remarks, saying no Kenyan community should be stereotyped or demeaned and urging leaders to uphold the constitutional values of equality, dignity and inclusivity.