NCIC Summons UDA Nominated MP Joseph Wainaina Over Rift Valley Remarks as Commission Warns Against Ethnic Profiling Ahead of 2027
In a video circulating widely online, the nominated MP urged members of his community to support President Ruto’s two-term political agenda and appeared to tell those opposed to the arrangement to leave the Rift Valley and return after the elections.
Joseph Wainaina Iraya during a past address at a function in Eldoret.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has summoned UDA-nominated Member of Parliament Joseph Wainaina Iraya over controversial remarks in which he appeared to warn a section of communities living in the Rift Valley against opposing President William Ruto’s bid for a second term.
An NCIC commissioner, speaking during a local Kikuyu radio station interview on Tuesday morning, said the commission had already issued summons to Wainaina and was engaging other political leaders facing similar complaints over alleged incitement, ethnic profiling and divisive political rhetoric ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The commissioner said the commission was closely monitoring political statements that could create tension between communities, stressing that leaders would be expected to exercise restraint as political activity intensifies.
The development follows growing condemnation of remarks attributed to Wainaina during a gathering in Uasin Gishu County. In a video circulating widely online, the nominated MP urged members of his community to support President Ruto’s two-term political agenda and appeared to tell those opposed to the arrangement to leave the Rift Valley and return after the elections.
The remarks have generated concern among political and community leaders, who argue that political differences should not determine whether Kenyans have the right to live and work in any part of the country.
Jubilee Party has separately called on the NCIC, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to investigate the remarks and take appropriate action if any laws were breached. The party described the statements as divisive and warned against rhetoric that could reopen ethnic tensions associated with Kenya’s past electoral violence.
The NCIC commissioner said the commission was also engaging other leaders facing complaints relating to alleged incitement and ethnic profiling, signalling heightened scrutiny of political rhetoric as the country moves towards the 2027 elections.
The latest action comes amid increasing political mobilisation across the Rift Valley and other parts of the country, with leaders beginning to openly campaign around competing political formations and presidential succession debates.
Wainaina denies threatening communities
Wainaina has since rejected claims that his remarks were intended to threaten or incite communities against one another.
In a statement, the nominated MP said his comments had been taken out of context and accused political opponents of attempting to use the controversy to whip up emotions.
Wainaina described himself as a peace campaigner and said his personal experience of the 2007/08 post-election violence had made him opposed to ethnic incitement and political violence.
The controversy has nevertheless continued to attract calls for accountability, with leaders in Uasin Gishu urging political actors to avoid language that could create fear, suspicion or division among communities that have lived together in the Rift Valley for decades.
As the NCIC proceeds with its inquiries, attention is now turning to whether Wainaina will honour the summons and what action, if any, the commission will take after reviewing his remarks.
The case is likely to intensify the national debate over political speech, ethnic profiling and the responsibility of elected leaders to protect peaceful coexistence ahead of the 2027 General Election.
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