Kenyan Journalist Rukia Bulle has expressed gratitude to the online community for their encouraging thoughts after she was the target of religious stereotyping by Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha.
In a brief video posted on TikTok, the young journalist expressed her gratitude for the support she had received from her loved ones, friends, and online fans.
“I just wanted to come on here and say thank you to anyone who took the time out of their day to send me nice messages or to check up on me. All your support does not go unnoticed. We’ll keep thriving regardless of anything that is thrown our way,” Rukia said in the video.
The CS has come under fire for the past several days over remarks made about Rukia that were purportedly made in his name linking her to the banned Al Shabaab terrorist group.
At a ceremony to lay the foundation for the second phase of the construction of junior high classrooms for the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) at Pumwani Girls and Pumwani Boys Secondary Schools in Nairobi, Prof. Magoha made the comments in response to a question from the journalist.
“Kwanza wewe unatoka wapi? (Where are you from?). Who are you representing because if you are representing Al Shabaab I will not answer you,” said Magoha.
Magoha had requested her to identify herself in a video that has since gone viral before he could respond to her inquiries.
Muslim clergy and leaders have denounced the CS for his statements, which have generated a public controversy. The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NICC) has also been urged by the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) to invite the CS in for interrogation.
Hassan Ole Naado, chairman of the Supreme Council of Kenyan Muslims (Supkem), criticized the statements and deemed them regretful.
According to him, there is election-related tension in many communities, and such feelings could result in violence.
“We are hurt by the words of Magoha. He is not an ordinary person but a leader and we have always advised our children to follow his steps but when he says such words, it is unfortunate,” he said.
He requested the governments to take action against Magoha.
“Magoha should be fired immediately because he lacks morals,” he said.
He advised all leaders to spread the gospel of peace and harmony and to desist from using language that could incite violence.
Kenyans on social media criticized the comments as well.
