Bevalyne Kwamboka, a well-known street food vendor, found herself in a challenging situation on November 15, 2023. On this day, she publicly apologized to the Kenyan public for endorsing President William Ruto in the run-up to the 2022 presidential elections.
Admitting that she was a first-time voter with little knowledge of the political landscape in August 2022, Ms. Kwamboka expressed remorse for her previous stance. In a humbling statement, she renounced her earlier support for President Ruto and acknowledged her naivety, stating, “I take back my words. I was a young, inexperienced, and perhaps financially strained first-time voter—my sincere apologies.”
Speaking from Bogichora in Nyamira County, she preemptively apologized to shield herself from the anticipated backlash. Ms. Kwamboka also aligned herself with others, including UDA bloggers and online influencers, who had recently expressed regret for their prior support of President Ruto.
In an attempt to be transparent, she revealed that she wanted to “confess” before facing online criticism. Additionally, she seemed to agree with a Twitter user’s observation that her change of heart might be linked to the conclusion of financial incentives she had received for promoting a hashtag in favor of William Ruto.
Responses from her followers varied:
Ongaro Conrad encouraged her to move forward, stating, “You don’t have to apologize for what you thought was right then. Just transition to the new normal.”
Richard Carrie empathized, expressing, “You have the right to vote for whoever you believe has your best interests. I voted Raila, and like you, I don’t know how it would have turned out. We learn as we go.”
Osoro, however, was less forgiving, remarking, “Your apology can’t help us now. Some of ‘you’ pushed ‘us’ here. I hope your former/current customers can still afford a plate of chips in your eatery, if it still exists.”
Tito Nyongesa revealed that he had considered unfollowing her but chose to wait for this day, adding, “At least you learned.”
Others, like Onyoyo Vin, reassured her that mistakes are part of the learning process: “Lessons learned are what is important. You don’t need to apologize. We learn through mistakes.”
Japur Jaemo emphasized the significance of learning from elders, stating, “Listen to people who are older than you. They have seen what you have not seen.”
Ms. Kwamboka gained fame in 2020 when her street food-selling business went viral on Twitter. UDA politician Millicent Omanga had previously supported her, but a scandal ensued when Ms. Kwamboka accused Ms. Omanga of misrepresenting her contributions for political gain.
Despite her earlier support for Ruto and sharing his content, Ms. Kwamboka, like many of Ruto’s online supporters, began expressing regret due to economic hardships and the burdensome cost of living, distancing themselves from the “Kenya Kwanza” movement.
