Karen Nyamu has refuted online rumors that a widely shared photo of her with a black eye was the consequence of gender-based assault.
“You know I am not one to care what guys are saying about my personal life or whatever. Whatever you want to say about me you know unakuanga free.
Si catch sijali as in I don’t really have an issue. In fact saa zile hamniongelei nakuanga a bit concerned.”
Addressing netizens’ concerns about her eye, Nyamu took to her Facebook live Sunday night June 25 to open up about a challenge she is facing.
In the 10-minute video, Karen continues. “But there is something that has drawn my attention. It is a photo that we took on Friday at a function in Nyeri a Scout and Girl Guides Function where the speaker of the Senate was the chief guest at the closing ceremony and so we had accompanied him with some Senators and this photo nimepigwa imefunika macho yangu moja, whatever alafu sijui kuna nini.
So watu wanamake fun of gender based violence especially watu wale hawanilike, they think that gender-based violence is something you can use to settle scores or something you should wish on your enemies and these are women. We can’t be this ignorant in this day and age. Gender-based violence is a serious issue, it affects 40 percent of women in Kenya just like in Africa it affects more women than men.”
She insisted no one hit her, and there was no black eye.
“There are many factors that lead to women getting being victims most of the time and it also the disproportionate economic empowerment between men and women. Women tend to be less empowered and it doesn’t exclude even empowered women being victims of gender-based violence.
I personally have been a victim in the past and Im not one to keep quiet about such a thing ama kuficha and if there’s one truthful person after Riggy G in this country it is Karen Nyamu. So hiyo si kitu naeza nyamazia. Na nimeona on my post and imeni concern kidogo. I have raised it with the person who could have been the person who people think has hit me, ameniambia ah we lenga uciu ni wana (In kikuyu to mean its nonsense) you know how we dismiss things every other thing that is said about us.”
She then went on to add that the person who hit her demanded she dismiss murmurs, and the person referring to rumors that it is ‘ni wana – its nonsense.
“But for me gender based violence si kitu naeza sweep under the carpet and it just surprises me how if it is true ni ukweli nimegongwa ngumi kama ni kweli nimekuwa na black eye yani hivo ndo imekuwa tuu stori ya gossip” Karen narrated.
She added that she has experienced gender based violence in the past, but not in her present moment.
She also took shots at someone who appeared to joke about her violence situation with a caption that read ‘ nothing but prayers’ .
“Sijacome hapa kusema ati sijapigwa ngumi juu sijapigwa ngumi and wale walikua jana mugithi muliniona in Naivasha there was no violence it was fun times. Thats beside the point. My main reason for coming live tonight is to maybe raise awareness people who think that dame ama chali kuchapwa ni kitu ya kawaida it is not. Na si kitu ya ku settle scores nayo. Kuna wengine wanasema ungemvunja mguu, oh nothing but prayers, uciu ni wana. Its something very serious.”
