&w=64&q=75)
Nigerian actress Destiny Etiko recently found herself at the center of a social media storm after Kenyans flooded her comment section with criticism over a post they perceived as mocking their protests against the now-withdrawn Finance Bill.
Etiko was quick to address the misunderstanding, clarifying that her post was intended to reflect the situation in Nigeria, not to mock Kenyans.
Misunderstanding and backlash
The confusion began when Etiko shared a post that she said was meant to reflect the resilience of Nigerians amid their struggles.
"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," reads Destiny's post that she has since pulled down.
However, many Kenyans interpreted the post as a jab at their ongoing protests against the Finance Bill, which had seen citizens take to the streets in large numbers.
Etiko took to social media to clear the air, stating that the post was not originally written by her and that it was meant to applaud Nigerians for their strength and resilience. She emphasised that she was unaware of the protests in Kenya when she shared the post.
"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," she said.
Did Destiny Etiko take down the post?
According to Destiny Etiko, although she was pressured to delete the post, she felt it was important to explain her actions to prevent people from thinking she had intentionally posted something to mock Kenyans. Her post is still up.
"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," she said.
Kenyans' reactions
Even after her explanation, many Kenyans continued to express their dissatisfaction in the comment section, warning Etiko to be more mindful of her posts, especially during a time when their country is in turmoil.
They threatened to "check on her" if she did not heed their warnings, drawing a parallel to their actions against some