UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar issued an apology and clarification over remarks he said were misinterpreted and taken out of context, insisting he did not intend to demean or target any community.
In a statement dated May 24, 2026, Omar said his comments were made within the context of his long-standing advocacy on historical land injustices affecting the Coast region, and were not meant to promote “division, hostility, or animosity” among communities.
“My comments were never intended to demean, offend, or target any community,” he said. Omar said he appreciates that some Kenyans, particularly from Central Kenya, may have felt aggrieved by the remarks.
“To all those who may have been offended, I sincerely regret the misunderstanding and extend my apology,” he said.
The clarification comes after Omar faced backlash over comments made during the recent nationwide fuel strike protests, during which he accused sections of the transport sector of bias and warned that action would be taken against leaders he said were inciting unrest.
In earlier remarks, Omar said former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua would face arrest if found culpable of incitement linked to the protests.
“This is no joke… If Riggy G breaks the law and the arms of the law point at him, we will arrest him,” Omar said.
Omar also defended the government’s approach to addressing what he described as cartels in the transport sector, saying the administration is pursuing projects such as commuter rail and bus rapid transit (BRT) systems to reduce reliance on cartels and improve public transport.
He further questioned why matatu operators withdrew services under the current administration yet did not stage similar action during fuel price challenges under former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s regime.
Omar urged Kenyans to use constitutional processes to express discontent, telling those opposed to President William Ruto’s administration to wait until the 2027 General Election.
His remarks have drawn criticism with some leaders calling for his removal.
Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara accused Ruto and Omar of fuelling ethnic hostility ahead of the 2027 General Election, warning that such rhetoric could inflame tensions in the country.
Speaking to the press in Naivasha on Saturday, Kihara claimed the two leaders were deliberately pushing an anti-Kikuyu narrative, which she said threatens national cohesion.
She criticised what she termed Ruto’s “reckless” remarks about the Mt Kenya region, arguing that voters from the area supported him in 2022 and have a right to hold him accountable over unfulfilled pledges.
“He made commitments during the 2022 campaigns and many of those commitments remain unfulfilled and the people have every right to hold him accountable, and he cannot respond by weaponising ethnicity against them,” Kihara said.
The lawmaker also dismissed claims that former President Mwai Kibaki introduced tribalism in government, calling them baseless.
Kihara further faulted leaders from the Mt Kenya region serving in government for what she described as silence in the face of hate speech, and claimed the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) lacked capacity due to an insufficient number of commissioners.
She also alleged that the recent wave of demonstrations in parts of the Mt Kenya region following fuel price increases — during which businesses were torched and property destroyed — was sponsored to portray the Kikuyu community negatively.
Kihara insisted voters would not be swayed by ethnic politics, saying Kenyans are more informed and can see through manipulation.
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