How Karen Nyamu suffered after voting for Finance Bill

Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu has broken her silence for the first time about the negative effects she faced, especially on social media, following her stance in support of the 2024 Finance Bill.

Speaking in the Senate session on Tuesday, Nyamu said she lost over 10,000 followers on her Instagram page after endorsing the controversial bill that many Kenyans were opposed to.

Nyamu explained that one of her followers confronted her in the comments, asking her to justify why, as a woman, she supported a finance bill that included a provision to tax sanitary pads.

"Speaking of misinformation, I am one of those who bore the brunt of misinformation about the Finance Bill, even on social media, Mr. Speaker."

"I lost over 10,000 followers on Instagram because I engaged in discussions where a girl came to my page and asked me why I, as a woman, supported a finance bill proposing to tax sanitary pads," Nyamu explained.

Nyamu defended herself, saying she had to explain to the girl and clarify that it was misinformation because the Finance Bill had proposed tax only on sanitary pads imported from outside the country.

Nyamu said that due to her explanations in response to questions on her Instagram, some perceived her as arrogant and even reported her to the president when she engaged with Gen Z youth through the X Space platform.

"Mr. Speaker, for the first time in my life, I have been called arrogant for supporting the government's position on the Finance Bill. Those who know me, those whom I have interacted with, will attest to my humility..." she defended herself.