Moments after the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) confirmed it had launched investigations into allegations of ethnic incitement against Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, the CS came out to deny the claims.
In a statement issued on Friday, Duale said he had been "widely misquoted" and that his remarks delivered in Lafey Constituency had been taken out of context to advance "false and misleading narratives."
Duale said the words he used were a common Somali proverb and were not directed at any community.
"The phrase I used, 'Waraabe la-tagis bartay, ka-ridis waa ku dhib,' is a well-known Somali proverb that has long been part of our oral tradition," he said.
"It is a figurative expression about the difficulty of ending entrenched habits or long-enjoyed advantages. It was never directed at any community or intended to demean anyone."
He added that his message was about the importance of inclusivity as the government continues to ensure that all Kenyans, regardless of their region or ethnicity, have an opportunity to serve the nation.
"Attempts to portray my remarks as ethnic incitement are therefore dishonest and a deliberate distortion of what I said," Duale said.
He also expressed regret that, in his view, some of those now condemning his remarks had remained silent when inflammatory statements targeting the Somali community were made in the past.
"Public leaders should reject selective outrage and apply the same standards consistently," he added.
His remarks attracted widespread condemnation from a section of political leaders.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru termed the comments regrettable.
"The ethnic profiling remarks made by CS Aden Duale in response to the Ol Kalou by-election are deeply regrettable. It is both overly simplistic and dangerous to reduce the government's political challenges to tribal prejudice, especially when this very Kikuyu community stood with us so overwhelmingly in the past," Waiguru said.
Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba also criticised the CS, saying: "My senior CS Aden Duale, you are out of order! Accept the reality that UDA was squarely defeated in Ol Kalou."
Earlier on Friday, the NCIC announced it had launched investigations into the alleged ethnic incitement.
In a statement, the Commission said it had received a formal complaint regarding Duale's alleged remarks and that its Investigations Department had commenced a thorough and impartial inquiry.
NCIC applauded members of the public for reporting the matter and urged Kenyans to continue submitting complaints involving divisive political rhetoric and ethnic profiling, saying public cooperation was critical in preserving national cohesion.
It warned that inflammatory remarks capable of dividing communities threaten the country's stability.
"We cannot afford to watch this country slide into anarchy, especially through utterances that divide communities," it said.