Kiss FM's Kwambox Under Fire Over Insensitive Remarks Targeting Nigerians

The energy-packed Kwambox is known for normally hyping up her listeners by posting short clips online of her bouncy arrival as she dances along to an upbeat song and speaks directly to the camera.

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Jan 18, 2024 - 12:29
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Kiss FM's Kwambox Under Fire Over Insensitive Remarks Targeting Nigerians
A photo of Kiss FM presenter Kwambox. /GHAFLA

Kiss FM breakfast show host Sheila Kwamboka, popularly known as Kwambox, has found herself in hot soup on social media after a video of her making comments appeared to be insensitive while promoting her morning show emerged on Wednesday, January 17.

The energy-packed Kwambox is known for normally hyping up her listeners by posting short clips online of her bouncy arrival as she dances along to an upbeat song and speaks directly to the camera.

However, in the video, Kwambox temporarily stopped jamming to popular Afrobeat banger Gwagwalada, done by Nigerian singers BNXN and Kizz Daniels to make the following remarks "Even if you guys are not feeling Nigerians this week, I don't care."

"Remember this year we said we are being fearless, so whatever you think you're avoiding..." Kwambox doubled down on her sentiments.

Her comment, seemingly innocent in the context of the dance, took a darker turn amidst recent events, with a backdrop to this controversy being the recent tragic murder of 20-year-old Rita Waeni Muendo at TRM Drive in Roysambu, Nairobi.

A foreigner allegedly hailing from Nigeria was taken into custody after he was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) while attempting to leave the country for Abuja.

Social media users swiftly reacted to the video, accusing Kwambox of being inconsiderate to Waeni's demise.

The video, which went viral, was posted on Kiss FM's official social media pages but was pulled down on X  by the time Viral Tea did spot checks.

Nonetheless, some X users reposted the video on their accounts, which saw Kwambox trend to number one by the time of publishing.

One user said, "At a time when Kenyans are praying for justice for the TRM girl, who it has been reported was killed by a Nigerian man, Kwambox went on LIVE radio to say, "Even if you are not feeling Nigerians right now, I don't care!" Really Kwambox? A 20-year-old girl was killed and that's what you've got to say? You're a woman! A woman Kwambox! What if her family are your fans? What if they listen to Kiss FM? Did you even think about that?"

On his part, X influencer Wafunya offered, "Watch Kiss 100 downplay the whole Kwambox shenanigans by making her have a conversation on the show on how people on the internet are always quick to react to things for clout. They might even call you people jobless and bitter with nothing else to do than tweet. Women privilege!"

Gathoni Kanja, another irked listener, said, "It's so sad that a woman got to say these words. It's shocking! We've been crying about femicide since the start of the year and someone thinks our thoughts about Nigerians at this point don't matter!?? And a woman at that!? This is beyond gross! This is purely wicked! Shaffie Weru didn't deserve what he got!

While neither the station nor Radio Africa Group (RAG) was yet to respond to the matter, many Kenyans pushed for action to be taken against her in the same way the media house responded to the controversy generated after Shaffie Weru's insensitive remarks made in 2021 which led to his firing and condemnation by the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) and the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).

In March 2021, then Homeboyz Radio presenter Shaffie, his co-host Neville Musya and veteran DJ Joe Mfalme were all sacked after appearing to trivialise femicide.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian High Commission in Kenya, in its advisory to citizens, expressed its concern over local media and social media reports pointing an accusing finger towards Nigerians for the femicide crimes, which have sparked public outrage.

"Following the unfortunate murders of two young ladies in the past couple of weeks which have rightly elicited public condemnation, the High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Nairobi is concerned by the preponderance of online blogs, doctored videos and social media posts, maliciously entrenching a spurious speculation that 'Nigerians' have perpetrated these heinous crimes," the statement read in part.

A signpost of the Nigeria High Commission in Kenya. /SAHARA REPORTERS

"Conscious of some reports of sporadic attacks on Nigerian nationals, it has become important for the Nigeria High Commission to urge all Nigerians in Kenya to remain calm and to continue to be law-abiding and respectable members of the public."

The Commission thus urged Nigerians to be vigilant and to avoid unnecessary movements even as investigations are ongoing and formal communication from the host law enforcement authorities is awaited.

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