NAIROBI, Kenya- Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya and Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale have launched a fierce attack on UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar, accusing him of fuelling tribal division and dangerous political rhetoric amid the worsening fuel crisis and nationwide unrest.
The two outspoken Western Kenya leaders faulted Omar over his Tuesday remarks, which they said were escalating ethnic profiling at a time when Kenyans are struggling with soaring fuel prices, economic hardship, and rising political tension.
In a statement, Salasya warned that the country risked sliding into ethnic conflict if leaders continued turning legitimate economic frustrations into tribal battles.
“My brother Hassan Omar, your recent words are dangerous and divisive. You say you oppose tribalism, but your speech is doing exactly that — dividing people along ethnic lines,” Salasya said.
The youthful legislator argued that Kenyans were angry because of the deepening economic crisis and not because of ethnic politics.
“The country is in a deep economic crisis — fuel prices are through the roof, families are losing their livelihoods, and people are deeply frustrated,” he stated.
Salasya accused the UDA Secretary General of attempting to label government critics as tribal bigots instead of addressing concerns over the rising cost of living and fuel prices.
“Instead of addressing this, you’re calling government critics ‘tribal bigots’ and turning legitimate protests into ethnic issues. This is incredibly dangerous timing and risks pushing Kenya toward ethnic conflict,” he added.
He further warned that branding dissenting voices as tribal enemies could destroy public trust and suppress constitutional freedoms, including the right to protest.
“It’s at this point that you must retract, apologize, and focus on tangible relief — or stand exposed as a tribal provocateur masquerading as anti-tribalist,” Salasya said.
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale also weighed in on the debate, telling Hassan Omar to tone down what he described as inflammatory rhetoric.
“Please stop this unhelpful tribal hot air,” Khalwale said.
The sharp criticism comes as political temperatures continue to rise following violent fuel protests and the nationwide matatu strike sparked by soaring fuel prices announced by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
The government has accused sections of the opposition of exploiting the fuel crisis to incite unrest and target supporters of President William Ruto, while critics of the administration accuse the state of profiling communities and politicising economic grievances.
