Sen Tabitha Mutinda in hot seat over Ruto’s empowerment remarks
By David Nthua, August 18, 2025UDA-nominated Senator Tabitha Mutinda appeared to be in unfamiliar territory when she struggled to clarify President William Ruto’s remarks during a recent empowerment event at State House.
Mutinda, who spoke to a local TV station on Monday, August 18, 2025, was caught up in a dilemma when asked to confirm whether indeed there were 380,000 chairs at the venue as per the President’s earlier comments.
Attempting to put the matter to rest, Tabitha Mutinda explained that chairs and tents were the most requested items from groups that participated in the programme.
“Actually, chairs and tents were most requested. The highest number of requested items was chairs and chairs and were taking care of 85 wards. I am not sure about the exact number.
“Out of the thousands Kenyans who were in State House for an empowerment, only one Kenyan who is complaining coming out to complain that he didn’t receive what he was promised? Politics being used to try and perpetuate lies,” she said.
Her remarks, however, did not directly address the figures Ruto had mentioned, leaving lingering questions about whether the numbers cited by the Head of State were accurate.
Complaints from youth
The controversy comes amid growing reports that some youths who attended the State House empowerment event claim they were duped.
Several participants from Jacaranda in Embakasi alleged that they never received motorbikes and other items they had been promised.
One of them, Dickens Kamau Odhiambo, said he was photographed with a motorbike but later sent away without it, while others insisted their proposals were ignored despite being shortlisted.
The complaints sparked heated debate online, with critics accusing top political figures of using the initiative for publicity rather than genuine empowerment.
Senator Tabitha dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, suggesting that isolated complaints should not overshadow the scale of the programme.
Still, analysts say the mixed messaging from both the President and his allies has fuelled confusion rather than settled the matter.
As questions persist over how the empowerment initiative was managed, the pressure is now on State House and relevant ministries to clarify details and restore public trust in future programmes.