President William Ruto has reiterated his administration’s commitment to national unity and inclusive development.
The head of state said no region or community will be left behind in Kenya’s transformation agenda.
Speaking in Mogotio town after a day-long tour of Baringo County, the President said his government remains focused on uniting the country around a shared vision of inclusive growth.
“We are committed to uniting the country and fast-tracking a national transformation agenda through a shared vision that focuses on inclusive growth, leaving no one and no region behind,” President Ruto said.
His remarks came amid growing political tension following accusations by a group of Members of Parliament from North Eastern Kenya against former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over alleged ethnic profiling and incitement.
The MPs, led by Dadaab MP Farah Maalim, accused Gachagua of making statements they said have fuelled hostility towards the Somali community. They claimed his remarks have escalated what they described as “Somaliphobia” and risk undermining national cohesion.
The legislators said recent attacks and hostility directed at Somali-owned businesses are driven by envy and ethnic hatred, warning that such narratives threaten peaceful coexistence.
They called on the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to investigate Gachagua’s comments, which they described as misleading, divisive and amounting to ethnic profiling.
Separately, lawyers representing owners of Business Bay Square (BBS Mall) in Eastleigh have filed a formal complaint with the NCIC over remarks allegedly made by Gachagua during a church service in Kiratina, Kiambu County, on January 4, 2025.
In the complaint, MMA Advocates argued that the former deputy president unfairly linked the Somali community and identifiable businesses to a fraud scandal in Minnesota, United States.
The lawyers said the statements stigmatized law-abiding Somali citizens and could inflame ethnic tensions.
