Mary Biketi’s recent remarks have not only sparked debate but also exposed a troubling attitude that many Kenyans found deeply offensive.
As the girlfriend of CS Wycliffe Oparanya, her words were never going to be treated as casual comments.
When she told Kenyans to first focus on repaying their Hustler Fund loans before criticizing her, she crossed a line that revealed arrogance and a lack of sensitivity to the daily struggles ordinary citizens face.
At a time when most families are stretched thin just trying to survive, such statements come across as dismissive and condescending.
Debt in Kenya is not a matter of choice for many people, it is a means of survival.
Millions have turned to loans, including the Hustler Fund, to cover school fees, food, and basic needs.
To mock or belittle those who are trapped in this cycle of borrowing is to show complete disregard for their reality.
Biketi’s words were not taken lightly, and rightly so. They painted her as someone out of touch with the economic pain most Kenyans endure every day. Instead of showing empathy or offering solutions, she chose to lecture struggling citizens as though their hardships were simply the result of poor choices.
The backlash on social media was swift and deserved. Kenyans from all walks of life called her out for looking down on the very people her partner, as a public leader, is expected to serve.
The anger was not only about the Hustler Fund but also about respect. Citizens expect humility from those associated with leaders, not insults. Public figures and their close associates should understand that their words carry weight and can either build trust or widen the gap between them and the people.
Biketi’s comments did the latter, deepening the feeling that some in positions of privilege have no idea what life is like for the majority.
What makes her remarks even more damaging is the timing. At a period when the cost of living continues to rise, jobs are hard to come by, and debt is unavoidable, telling Kenyans to “first pay their loans” before speaking is tone-deaf at best and cruel at worst.
Instead of acknowledging the struggles, she shifted blame onto citizens who are victims of a failed system.
Such remarks show a lack of maturity and a failure to recognize the responsibility that comes with being connected to public leadership.
Mary Biketi may have intended to defend herself, but she ended up alienating the very people whose respect her partner depends on. Her words will not be remembered as boldness but as insensitivity, a careless reminder of how easily those close to power can lose touch with reality.