High Court Issues Directions in Petition Over Duale’s ‘Hyenas’ Remarks

By Monyonge Kebati

The High Court in Nairobi has issued directions in a constitutional petition challenging alleged remarks by Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale in which he is accused of referring to people from the Mt. Kenya region as “hyenas.”

According to court documents, Justice David Mburu declined to certify the matter as urgent but directed that the petition and related application be served on the respondents. The respondents have been granted 14 days to file their responses, after which the petitioner will have an opportunity to file a rejoinder and supplementary submissions. The matter is scheduled for mention on September 30, 2026, to confirm compliance and issue further directions.

The petitioners argue that the alleged use of the term “hyenas” constitutes dangerous and dehumanizing speech. They told the court they have relied on jurisprudence from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), including the Jean-Paul Akayesu case, to argue that language comparing groups of people to animals has historically been linked to the incitement of mass violence and genocide.

According to the petitioners, the reference is comparable to the use of the term “Inyenzi” (“cockroaches”), which was used against Tutsis before and during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. They contend that such language should be treated seriously because of its potential to fuel ethnic hatred.

The respondents have not yet filed their responses, and the court has not made any f