The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has found Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku culpable of making divisive ethnic remarks and issued an immediate cessation notice against him.
In a determination released on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, the commission said remarks made by Ruku at Kiang’ondu in Tharaka Nithi County in July crossed the line from political advocacy into collective ethnic blame and generalisations.
NCIC Chairman Bishop Dr Kepha Nyamweya Omae said the Commission had considered the statements attributed to Ruku and the responses provided during the investigation before arriving at its determination.
The Commission directed Ruku to immediately stop repeating or endorsing ethnic generalizations and ordered him to publicly retract, within seven days, remarks that attributed inequitable development and public appointments to the Kikuyu community collectively.
The NCIC investigation centred on comments Ruku made while advocating for greater political and economic independence for the Mt Kenya East region.
At a funeral service in Kiang’ondu in July, Ruku said Mt Kenya East should not be treated as a political “trailer” to Mt Kenya West and maintained that the region had made its own political choice to remain in government.
He argued that Mt Kenya East had historically supported political leaders from Mt Kenya West but was now seeking a more independent political voice to secure a greater share of national resources and opportunities.
The remarks came amid growing political debate over the relationship between Mt Kenya East and Mt Kenya West ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Ruku’s comments subsequently attracted the attention of the NCIC, which in July listed him among several prominent Kenyans under investigation over alleged hate speech and ethnic incitement.
The list also included former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale.
Ruku appeared before the Commission on September 1 to respond to the allegations.
At the time, the Cabinet Secretary said leaders should not incite hatred or violence and urged anyone summoned by a constitutional institution to respect the process.
The NCIC had said it would assess the evidence and Ruku’s response before issuing its determination.
The Commission has now concluded that some of the statements amounted to divisive ethnic rhetoric.
Beyond the findings against Ruku, the Commission announced plans for a nationwide ethnic diversity audit of public institutions.
NCIC said it would formally request data from national public institutions to assess ethnic representation in the public service.
The Commission cited the statutory requirement that no single ethnic community should account for more than one-third of employees in a public institution.
The audit is intended to establish the level of compliance with ethnic diversity requirements and identify possible disparities in representation.
The move comes as questions over ethnic balance in government appointments continue to feature prominently in Kenya’s political debate.
The Commission also directed Ruku to undertake restorative and conciliation measures.
Although NCIC acknowledged peace gestures made by the Cabinet Secretary in September, it said those actions did not overturn its adverse findings.
Ruku was directed to organise and finance a restorative peacebuilding initiative approved by the Commission and participate in non-partisan peace caravans.
NCIC said the measures were part of its statutory mandate to promote reconciliation and address conduct that could undermine relations between Kenya’s ethnic communities.
The Commission has previously emphasised that its role extends beyond investigating hate speech to include mediation, conciliation, conflict prevention and promoting equality among Kenya’s communities.
The NCIC Secretariat will monitor Ruku’s compliance with the directives for the next 12 months.
The Commission warned that failure to comply with the conciliation and corrective measures could result in formal enforcement proceedings under the relevant provisions of the National Cohesion and Integration Act.
The determination comes as political leaders increasingly position themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election, with ethnic identity and regional political alliances featuring prominently in public debate.
NCIC has previously warned that political rhetoric that portrays entire ethnic communities as adversaries can heighten tensions and undermine national cohesion.
