Kenyan politician Karen Nyamu is embroiled in an ongoing social media firestorm after her insensitive comments about sanitary products. This came after Kenyans started raising concerns about the finance Bill 2024. The situation has escalated, with Nyamu’s WhatsApp number being blocked and the politician lashing out at her youthful critics.
It started when Nyamu who is a member of senate dismissed the need for affordable menstrual products, stating “I don’t use sanitary towels, I use tampons. I really don’t care if the government adds tax on them.”
This sparked outrage among Kenyan youth, particularly members of Generation Z, who mobilized to protest Nyamu’s remarks and the proposed 2024 Finance Bill that would increase taxes on feminine hygiene products. They flooded Nyamu’s WhatsApp with messages and reported her account, leading the platform to suspend her access.
Nyamu lamented the situation on Instagram, writing: “Despite the young people sending me a lot of 1 shilling, the endless WhatsApp texts have made the management ban my number. Are you now happy?”
But the backlash has not subsided. In a recent Instagram post wishing her followers a good night, one young commenter asked Nyamu to provide another number so they could report her again. Nyamu replied harshly, saying “you young people don’t use their brains just the same way I don’t use mine.” She added that she was “not ready to argue with anyone about the matter.”
Nyamu’s defiant response has only further inflamed the situation, underscoring her apparent disconnect with the concerns of young Kenyans. The episode highlights the growing political power and activism of the country’s youth, who are using digital platforms to hold their leaders accountable on issues like gender equality and access to essential services.
While Nyamu may have hoped the initial furor would blow over, the sustained pressure from Gen Z Kenyans has dealt a serious blow to her political standing. It remains to be seen whether she will learn from this experience and adopt a more empathetic and responsive approach going forward.
Never has a woman been this powerful in Kenya’s recent past. In fact, she is the first woman in the history of the country to serve as the President’s security advisor.
Dr Monica Juma is a true power woman in President William Ruto’s government. This is after surviving Ruto purge to remain in government.
The seasoned diplomat has an additional portfolio, that of the secretary to the National Security Advisory Committee, the top security decisions making organ in the country.
She had previously served as Kenya’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union during the reign of former President Mwai Kibaki.
In the Uhuru regime, she served as Principal Secretary before being appointed to the cabinet as foreign affairs Cabinet Secretary.
She is often part of Uhuru’s entourage whenever he travels out of the country. Then there is Harriette Chiggai, a seasoned lawyer who once served as the Vice President of the Law Society of Kenya.
Chiggai is one of Ruto’s top advisors and sits in the cabinet as hers is a cabinet level appointment. The two power women are behind Dr Ruto’s major decisions on different issues affecting the country.
