Eddie Butita recently faced criticism for not taking a timely public stand on the Finance Bill protests in Nairobi. Many assumed his silence and trip with the president indicated his support for the bill.
However, in a conversation with Betty Kyallo on August 2, Butita clarified that he had opposed the bill from the start.
Butita explained that he had been against the Finance Bill long before the protests began and had even submitted a document expressing his concerns.
"If anybody had a chance to participate in their own space in that conversation that was happening in the U.S., they would have done it because that was also my duty as a citizen of this country," he said.
He stressed that his trip to the U.S. did not imply support for the government's decisions. "What people don't know is that kuna vitu ata mi nilikuwa nadisgree nazo earlier enough in that Finance Bill. We even did a document nikasubmit. I'm also a citizen of this country, and every bad decision might affect me. Kuenda US doesn’t mean ati kuna role yenye mi naplay kwa faults government inafanya. Kama kuna faults then ni zao," he clarified.
Butita, who had accompanied President William Ruto to the U.S., explained his reasons for not speaking out earlier, and expressed regret at not reading the room more clearly in how he communicated.
"For me, I already played a role. Unfortunately, I didn't know how much influence I have in the country coz mi ni msanii tu. Later I realized it matters to communicate about it...I should have done it earlier... But I should also not be blamed because nikiwa beshte yako kuna vile nakuongelesha."
The comedian isn't the only celebrity to face significant backlash during the Anti-Finance Bill protests.
Upcoming musician KRG lost his large TikTok account with 400 thousand followers during the period. Any celebrity who seemed supportive of the government-backed bill faced online cancellation.
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