NAIROBI, KENYA – A Kenyan social media user known as Kitnebe has issued a public, tearful apology after facing intense backlash for a TikTok video that mocked the speech impediment of Raila Odinga Junior, the son of veteran politician Raila Odinga.
The controversy began when Kitnebe posted a video on TikTok in which she imitated Odinga Jr.’s speech condition, allegedly using her toddler son as part of the act. The video was swiftly condemned online by many Kenyans who labeled it as deeply insensitive, cyberbullying, and an unacceptable attack on a person with a disability.
The widespread criticism appears to have had a significant personal impact on the woman. In her emotional apology video, she expressed profound remorse and detailed how the backlash has affected her daily life and her family. She specifically asked for forgiveness from the Odinga family and from Kenyans at large.
According to a post on X by user Abdulahi Adan, the woman stated that the situation has left her unable to eat or walk in peace publicly. The fallout has also extended to her child, whom she apologized for dragging into the incident. Adan reported that the child is now being looked at with “hard-eyes” at school, indicating the social stigma the family is now facing.
The online reaction to her apology remains divided. While some Kenyans have accepted her remorse as genuine and have called for the matter to be laid to rest, others are demanding further accountability, arguing that the original video crossed a line and set a harmful example. The incident has sparked a broader conversation about respect, disability, and responsible behavior on social media.
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