Image: Instagram
Cabinet secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts, Ababu Namwamba has cleared the air on rumours that Tiktoker Azziad is his girlfriend.
The CS shut down the rumours in an interview with Kenyans.co.ke. The rumours were started by twitter users who spotted Azziad wearing shoes that resembled that of the CS.
This got the Tiktoker trending at number one on Twitter.
The CS has said they are not romantically involved.
"No she is not. Azziad is not my girlfriend We don't have any relationship whatsoever."
"I actually feel sorry for the poor girl, you know me, me I'm Ababu Nammwaba I have been in the trenches and you know when you have worked in these public spaces played politics, you grow the skin of a crocodile, on top of a hippo covered by the skin of a buffalo" he said
He went on to explain that he feels sorry for Azziad who got bullied over nothing.
"You grow a thick one and so you can take all sorts of ..but people who have not really circulated in this space I feel for them so I feel for Azziad. I feel bad for Azziad because we appointed Azziad alongside many other Kenyans to a technical team which is we believed would add value in the programs that we are progressing that we are implementing. "
About the shoes, he said "Why anyone would pick that particular photo and turn it into actually spin it not turn it into something completely inappropriate is absolutely reprehensible. Absolutely reprehensible. "
He went on to call out bullies who were picking on the content creator.
"I would say that while it is absolutely acceptable to put public servants and public officers under scrutiny it is also not fair. to spread rumors and to slander the character of innocent people. It is certainly not right. And while you may want to scrutinize Ababu ok, why do you want to destroy the reputation of a young person who really in my honest view is an example of a real hustler that has hustled her way to a space where she can take care of herself and maybe her family."
The CS concluded by saying he is able to take anything thrown to him by social media but it is unfair for netizens to do the same to Azziad.
"I believe Azziad has not been treated fairly I have not been treated fairly myself I can take what has come my way because I hold public office and I have no problem people raising questions about me but Azziad is innocent as I am, yeah."
