Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu has revealed she lost more than 1o,000 followers on her Instagram account following her support for the controversial Finance Bill 2024 which has since been withdrawn.
During a senate motion on the state of the nation, the senator said her commitment to support the government’s position had caused her problems with the Kenyan youth.
“I am one of those people who have borne the brunt of misinformation in social media, I have lost in my Instagram more than 10,000 followers because I was involved in a conversation in the comments section a lady who came to my page asking me how can you as a woman can support a bill that proposes to tax sanitary towels,” Nyamu said.
Name-calling
Nyamu said her response to the question about a locally-manufactured sanitary pad she uses formed the basis of her being called names.
“I responded that that was not the case and that locally manufactured pads were not going to attract the levy. She asked me which locally manufactured sanitary towels do you use Karen? and I responded to her, I use tampons because Mr Speaker I use tampons,” Nyamu emphasized.
The senator as of Tuesday, July 9, 2024 had some 350,000 followers on Instagram.
Nyamu came under sharp criticism during an online youth engagement with Ruto on X Spaces last week when she was accused of arrogance and display of opulence in the face of austerity campaigns by the state.
“Mr Speaker, they are calling me dem wa tampons, shawry wa tampons, they even told on me to the President when he was holding the X Spaces engagement. They told him that some of the leaders under you are very arrogant based on my statement saying that I use tampons,” the senator lamented.
She denied the accusations, adding saying it is not in her business to support demonstrators in the street but to convince them to join the president in delivering his agenda.
“It is not up to me to join you in your misinformation,” she said.
The senator took time to honor the youth who had lost their lives during the protests and thanked Ruto and Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Susan Nakhumicha for offsetting the bills of individuals receiving treatment from injuries sustained in the demos.
Similarly, she apologised to the women, noting that her remarks were taken out of context.
“If I was misunderstood, I want to say to the women and youth who got angry by my statements that I don’t withdraw because I use tampons but I’m sorry for angering you,” Nyamu stated.