Sarah Kimani, a prominent blogger associated with the President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA), has staunchly refused to apologize for her recent exposé on alleged underpayment by State House operatives.
This comes after officials reportedly demanded an apology following her viral video where she accused Senior Advisor Council of Economic Advisors State House, Moses Kuria and PR practitioner Rita Oyier of shortchanging her and other bloggers for their roles in defending the government on television.
In the video that circulated widely on social media, Kimani claimed that the bloggers were promised a monthly payment of Sh100,000 for their services but were only receiving a fraction of this amount, with Oyier allegedly taking the lion’s share of the payment. She highlighted the discrepancy at a public event, lamenting the exploitation she and her colleagues experienced after being recruited for government-backed PR campaigns.
According to Kimani, the bloggers were initially promised a monthly payment of Sh100,000 for their services, which included defending the government and criticizing former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. However, they later learned that the actual payment was supposed to be Sh250,000, with Oyier allegedly pocketing the difference. In the end, Kimani says they received a meager Sh50,000, leaving them feeling exploited and betrayed.
Following the uproar, Kimani issued a statement early this week emphasizing that she would not retract her statements. “I have been asked to apologize, but I stand by what I said because it reflects the truth of the situation many of us have faced,” she declared. She further accused those in power of attempting to silence legitimate grievances and cover up the exploitation of young professionals in political PR campaigns.
To further her lamentations, Kimani now says the initial government’s defenders which she claims to be part of has been sidelined as ‘outsiders’ benefits.
She claims that while they’re walking around empty pocketed, those who had opposed the government but have now crossed over are the biggest beneficiaries.
“I’m getting calls to apologize while those who were previously opposing this government that we defended with our blood and even abused the president are now earning fat cheques. Some now even have offices in the deputy president’s office earning up to Sh500,000 monthly salaries yet those of us who stood behind the president are earning nothing.” She lamented.
882525e2b1ed683b72c82a892ec5610123e55e46
The controversy has stirred significant public debate, with many online users and fellow bloggers expressing solidarity with Kimani, calling for transparency and accountability in government contracts. “This is not just about money; it’s about integrity, trust, and the ethical treatment of those who support the government’s narrative,” Kimani stated in her latest address.
Kenya Insights allows guest blogging, if you want to be published on Kenya’s most authoritative and accurate blog, have an expose, news TIPS, story angles, human interest stories, drop us an email on [email protected] or via Telegram