Nigerian actress Destiny Etiko recently faced a backlash on social media when Kenyans inundated her comment section with negative comments.
They accused her of making fun of their protests against the Finance Bill, which has since been withdrawn.
Etiko promptly addressed the confusion by explaining that her post was meant to depict the situation in Nigeria, not to ridicule Kenyans.
“Nigerians are one of the most patient countries in the world See how things Are in the country, and we still wake up and have a smile on our faces. Still pushing Every day. Nigerians are VIPs,” says Destiny’s post which she has deleted.
Nevertheless, a significant number of Kenyans perceived the message as a criticism of their ongoing demonstrations against the Finance Bill, which had prompted a considerable turnout of citizens on the streets.
Etiko resorted to social media to clarify the situation, asserting that she did not write the post herself and that its intention was to commend Nigerians for their determination and perseverance.
She stressed that she had no knowledge of the protests taking place in Kenya at the time she shared the post.
she said, “My attention was drawn to something and I said let me quickly address it. I don’t even have time for this but I really needed to do this because Kenyans need to know. First of all am a very busy person. I dont even have time for myself. I have no idea you people are fighting. I saw a post that is really happening in Nigeria right now. I saw a post on Uncle P’s page and I said ooh this is it… That is what is happening and I feel I should post it and then applaud us for how strong we are. Wahala ooh! Kenyans on my page started bashing me that am mocking them. Mocking you people for what? Do I even know you people are having issues? I have no idea. Moreso did I mention you guys on the post? The write-up was not even originally written by me”.
Destiny Etiko stated that despite facing pressure to remove the post, she believed it was necessary to clarify her intentions and avoid any misconceptions that she had deliberately shared something to ridicule Kenyans. As a result, she has chosen to keep her post visible.
She added, “So which one is this that I am mocking Kenyans, that I should take the post down? When I was told to take it down I just did because I wanted to avoid problems, but on second thought if I just took it down without doing this then it would be as if I intentionally put it there.
I honestly do not know how that post concerns Kenyans. I was just applauding Nigerians because we are strong people. We go through a lot every day and we wake up stronger moving around smiling, and happy like things don’t go wrong. But he who wears the shoes knows where it pinches more. Please a beg, this is just to clear the air”.
Despite her explanation, numerous Kenyans persisted in expressing their discontent in the comment section, cautioning Etiko to be more cautious about her posts, particularly during a period of turmoil in their country.
They warned her that if she disregarded their warnings, they would monitor her closely, making a comparison to their actions against certain individuals.
