By Bonface Mulyungi

Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has taken a swipe at the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General, Hassan Omar Hassan, accusing him and other political figures of driving dangerous tribal politics.

Speaking during a heated Jubilee Party Kiambu County delegates meeting held at the Kiambu Golf Club, the former Head of State delivered a stern warning against ethnic balkanisation, drawing parallels to past electoral violence.

Addressing a packed room of delegates, Uhuru emphasised that no community or political faction has the right to marginalise or intimidate others, reminding politicians that every citizen has an equal stake in the nation.

“No one should appear to intimidate other tribes,” Uhuru stated firmly. “People from these communities are Kenyans. Don’t incite and divide Kenyans along tribal lines.”

The retired President expressed deep regret over what he termed a shameless resurgence of open ethnic chauvinism among contemporary politicians.

He targeted not just those making the divisive remarks, but also senior national leaders who sit back and quietly tolerate the rhetoric.

“We have started seeing leaders shamelessly engaging in tribal politics, and they do this in broad daylight in front of national leaders,” he lamented, criticising the silence from top government officials.

“As a nation, we must speak the truth because we do not want to make mistakes we have made before.”

Invoking the painful memories of the 2007 post-election violence, Uhuru warned that history could repeat itself if the current trend is left unchecked.

“We last saw what happened in 2007; it started with making tribal remarks,” he cautioned. “I urge people in government, people in the security, not to allow this talk. Leaders should sell their manifestos and agendas for the country.”

Shifting his focus to the harsh economic realities on the ground, Uhuru urged the ruling administration to abandon partisan political sideshows and address the painful financial constraints crushing ordinary citizens.

He illustrated the daily struggle of low-income earners using a practical breakdown of how inflation has decimated household budgets.

“You are now in leadership, deal with the problems Kenyans are facing,” the retired President demanded. “The issue is simple: people are making noise because someone is saying, ‘I earn Sh20,000. From it, Sh800 goes to fuel, Sh12,000 is rent, and I am now left with Sh2,000 for feeding my family and taking my children to school.’ That is what Kenyans are going through. Address it and do not speak about tribes.” 

The public dressing-down comes in the wake of mounting pressure on the UDA administrator.

Hassan has since issued a formal apology regarding the controversial remarks he made during a party meeting in the Coastal region.

The apology followed fierce backlash from leaders across the Mt. Kenya region, who accused the ruling party’s top administrator of intentionally fueling toxic tribal rhetoric and unnecessarily dragging the retired President into highly partisan political exchanges.