Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris is facing a backlash on social media over a recent tweet she wrote after being tagged on a fundraiser banner for one of Nairobi residents who passed on recently.
In the tweet, citing limited finances, Passaris expressed her regrets, noting that she couldn’t afford a penny towards clearance of late David Mutemi’s medical bill amounting to Ksh2.464 million.
“Sorry my salary and per diems exhausted. When the County Government pays the per diems due to me plus interest and the courts reinstate our house allowance & awards me defamation in upcoming cases I shall do more to help the many who the law cannot in the short run. #GodsSpeed, ” she wrote.
Sorry my salary and per diems exhausted. When the County Government pays the per diems due to me plus interest and the courts reinstates our house allowance & awards me defamation in upcoming cases I shall do more to help the many who the law cannot in the short run. #GodsSpeed https://t.co/IC1TXPTvhP
— Esther Muthoni Passaris (@EstherPassaris) August 14, 2019
However, the sentiments didn’t augur well with a section of netizens who accused her of being insensitive.
Others felt she was using Mutemi’s case to push for her own selfish interests.
Her attempts to justify her reaction fuelled the trolls even more.
This is not the first time the legislator acts are receiving a backlash on Twitter.
Read: Esther Passaris Dressed Down Over Her Remarks On MP Allowances
In the recent past, Passaris has been on the receiving end of Kenyan’s wrath over her attempt to justify Members of Parliament’s appetite for allowances.
This is following a debate on recent outrageous allowance demands by the MPs. They include a Ksh250,000 house allowance and a “night” allowance dubbed “Domestic Subsistence Facilitation” that will see the legislators receive between Sh18,200 and Sh24,000 per night.
Here are some of the reactions from netizens:
I can't believe I voted for you.
Where is empathy in your response for someone who is in so much pain already. How do you then make it about you.
If you know you cant help you an ignore or retweet will do.— UnpRAWvoked (@karigoh) August 14, 2019
There's no need for you to be condescending to someone asking for help. Being silent would not have hurt madam women rep.
As a person who proudly voted for you, seeing this fills me with disgust!!!! pic.twitter.com/IzoBgJmNLw— david mwangi (@The_Mwangi) August 14, 2019
https://twitter.com/Areba_KE/status/1161849205826170880?s=20
Did someone hack @EstherPassaris account coz this doesnt sound like her????you didnt have to say anything
— molly (@MollyOdhiambo1) August 14, 2019
https://twitter.com/AdrianMola/status/1161844944325271552?s=20
Its a shame you had to turn this plea for help to be about you and your unnecessary salary increments. Some of us are paid way less than you MPs, we still pay taxes that enable you to get your lucrative salaries and allowances and we still contribute to support stuff like this.
— rashid swaleh (@RSwaleh) August 15, 2019
https://twitter.com/KegAmbassadorKE/status/1161705599861755904?s=20
It's time you log out of all your social media accounts, re-strategize, re-think and come back. You've alot of bitterness within yourself!
— Enock Musyimi (@EWambua) August 15, 2019
U should have just kept quiet instead of responding to the issue in a pedestrian manner. Nkt.
— TH🅾️Ⓜ️🅰️S (@thomskan) August 14, 2019
This sounds more sarcastic than its intent. In layman's understanding you telling these family to see their lives. You would have ignored the tweet. This is too low of you mama taa.
— Jacob Oketch Odero (@Wuodjanabi) August 14, 2019
https://twitter.com/malesi_s/status/1161834980047294464?s=20
https://twitter.com/ImaniImmah/status/1161885433682378753?s=20
A very unnecessary response from someone who has been trying to justify salary increment based on the same so called "support to the poor" I hope the house allowance is not reinstated cpz its pure robbery of tax payers money. As for the others goodluck.
— rashid swaleh (@RSwaleh) August 15, 2019
Per diems for what reason @EstherPassaris what state duties or functions did you attend to be paid or just attending funerals
— Sam Kamale (@cheruwangai_) August 15, 2019
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