NAIROBI, Kenya — A section of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) leaders from Kiambu County have rejected an apology issued by the party’s Secretary General Hassan Omar over remarks widely perceived as targeting the Kikuyu community.
They include Thika Member of Parliament Alice Ng’ang’a and Gatundu South counterpart Gabriel Kagombe.
“We have rejected your fake apologies,” MP Ng’ang’a said on Sunday.
“We want you to use the same mic that you used to insult Kikuyus, to plead for an apology.”
The leaders accused Omar of engaging in ethnic profiling and demanded stronger action from the ruling party leadership, saying the apology was insufficient and failed to address the gravity of the controversy.
“We shall come for you,” MP Kagombe said. “We are not going to be apologetic for being Kikuyus.”
The backlash follows remarks by Omar in which he criticised leaders and sections of the Mt Kenya region over opposition to President William Ruto’s administration and the recent anti-government protests linked to rising fuel prices and the high cost of living.
Speaking during public engagements in Central Kenya, some UDA leaders from Kiambu insisted the comments had deeply offended residents who overwhelmingly supported President Ruto and the ruling coalition during the 2022 General Election.
“We cannot normalise leaders profiling communities because of political differences,” one leader said, while dismissing Omar’s apology as “too little, too late.”
In his apology issued on Sunday, Omar maintained that his comments had been misunderstood and taken out of context, insisting they were not intended to demean or target any community.
“My comments were never intended to demean, offend, or target any community,” Omar stated.
He explained that his remarks were made within the context of historical land injustices affecting the Coast region and denied promoting ethnic hostility. The UDA Secretary General further said he regretted any misunderstanding caused by the comments.
However, the apology has continued to attract criticism from political leaders across the country, including senior figures within Kenya Kwanza.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru accused Omar of engaging in “ethnic baiting” and warned against attempts to isolate communities along ethnic lines.
Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara, Nyeri Woman Representative Rahab Mukami and Kiambaa MP John Kawanjiku are among Mt Kenya leaders who have publicly condemned the remarks, warning that such rhetoric risks inflaming ethnic tensions ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The controversy has exposed growing unease within sections of the ruling coalition, particularly in the Mt Kenya region, where political temperatures have continued to rise amid economic frustrations and emerging succession politics ahead of 2027.
Opposition leaders and political commentators have also weighed in, cautioning against the use of ethnic narratives in political mobilisation at a time when the country is grappling with economic hardship and public discontent.
