Wajir East Member of Parliament Aden Daud Mohamed, EBS, has strongly condemned recent remarks by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, describing them as reckless, inflammatory, and dangerously divisive.
In a statement issued on Monday, Aden Daud dismissed claims by Mr. Gachagua alleging that funds fraudulently obtained from Minnesota in the United States had been channelled into Kenya to construct commercial malls and finance political campaigns within the Somali community.
The legislator said the allegations were entirely unsubstantiated and amounted to ethnic profiling.
“This is not an isolated incident,” the MP said, noting that the remarks mirror a pattern of divisive and ethnically charged rhetoric that previously led to Mr. Gachagua’s historic impeachment in October 2024 by both Houses of Parliament.
Aden Daud recalled that Mr. Gachagua was removed from office on multiple grounds, including gross violations of the Constitution through ethnically divisive politics, incitement to ethnic discrimination, and inflammatory public statements that threatened national cohesion.
He cited, in particular, Mr. Gachagua’s controversial “shareholding” analogy of government, which suggested that public appointments and resources should be allocated based on electoral support from specific communities—remarks that were found to contravene the National Cohesion and Integration Act.
The Wajir East MP expressed concern that the former Deputy President has shown no remorse or restraint since his impeachment, warning that his continued targeting of the Somali community risks reigniting ethnic tensions and undermining long-standing inter-community relations.
“There is no inherent conflict between the Somali and Kikuyu communities,” Aden Daud said, highlighting decades of peaceful coexistence, strong business ties, and shared prosperity across the country. “Any attempt to manufacture ethnic hostility serves only to weaken the unity of our Republic.”
He emphasised that while individual wrongdoing should always be investigated and prosecuted through lawful channels, it must never be used to generalise or stigmatise an entire community.
The MP defended legitimate investments by Kenyans of Somali origin, saying their contributions to commercial infrastructure and economic growth are evidence of entrepreneurship, not criminality.
Aden Daud called on Mr. Gachagua to abandon divisive politics and urged all leaders to exercise responsibility in public discourse. He also appealed to relevant authorities to remain vigilant against incitement that could threaten peace and stability.
“Kenya belongs to all of us,” he said. “We must guard jealously against those who seek to fracture it for narrow political gain.”
He concluded by urging Kenyans to recommit themselves to the constitutional values of equality, inclusivity, and national unity.
