NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 24 — Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has accused the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) of applying double standards in its handling of alleged hate speech and incitement cases, demanding that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua be investigated before Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale.In a statement on Friday, Cherargei argued that the commission must demonstrate fairness by first investigating Gachagua over past remarks in which he allegedly referred to the Nandi community as a “militia.”“If NCIC is objective, non-partisan and fair, they should start their investigations with incitement and inflammatory remarks of former impeached Deputy President Gachagua, who referred to the Nandi community as a ‘militia,’ but no action was taken up to date, before they investigate Hon. Aden Duale,” Cherargei said.The senator defended Duale, insisting the Health Cabinet Secretary had merely used a Somali proverb while addressing residents in Lafey Constituency, Garissa County, and should not be accused of ethnic incitement.Cherargei’s remarks come hours after NCIC confirmed it had opened a formal investigation into complaints over Duale’s speech, saying its Investigations Department was conducting a “thorough and impartial inquiry.”The commission said it would determine whether the Cabinet Secretary’s remarks contravened Article 33 of the Constitution and Sections 13 and 62 of the National Cohesion and Integration Act, while urging leaders to avoid divisive rhetoric.Duale has denied any wrongdoing, saying he was “widely misquoted” and that his remarks had been deliberately taken out of context.The Cabinet Secretary explained that the Somali proverb at the centre of the controversy—”Waraabe la-tagis bartay, ka-ridis waa ku dhib”—was a figurative expression about the difficulty of abandoning long-standing habits and was never intended to target or demean any community.He further criticized what he described as selective outrage, arguing that some leaders condemning him had remained silent when inflammatory remarks were allegedly made against the Somali community.The controversy has triggered widespread political debate, with several leaders—including Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, senators Abdul Haji, Ledama Olekina and Enoch Wambua, as well as EALA MP Falhada Iman—calling for restraint and urging leaders to uphold national unity ahead of the 2027 General Election.