Willis Raburu responds to social media backlash over stance on protests
Renowned media personality Willis Raburu has spoken out following backlash from some social media users accusing him of being silent or neutral amid Kenya’s ongoing wave of protests.
In a passionate and introspective statement issued via his official X account on the night of Monday, July 7, 2025, Raburu addressed the criticism directly, expressing frustration over being labelled a “fence sitter” by individuals he described as unwilling to look deeper or acknowledge his previous public stands.
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“First and foremost, for those who lost their lives, one life is a life too many. It’s another dark day for Kenya. It’s wild to be called a fence sitter by those too idle to scroll my TL and see what the truth is. People process pain differently. Some speak, some go silent. And after witnessing horrifying images, reckless violence, and the collapse of humanity, we’re allowed to be gutted. To be momentarily lost for words,” Raburu’s statement read in part.
Raburu also acknowledged the national pain following the deaths of protesters, saying even one life lost is “a life too many.”
He went ahead to describe the current moment as “another dark day for Kenya,” while emphasising that the current tragedy demands empathy, truth, and unity—not online bullying or shallow assumptions.
Raburu calls for unity
The former TV host further called for reflection, urging Kenyans not to lose sight of the bigger picture by turning on each other instead of focusing on those responsible for injustice.
“But let me be clear: this app and its bullies have never fazed me, and they won’t start now. Not when Kenyans are dying. Not when we need unity more than ever. Not when misdeeds thrive on our division. If we keep attacking each other without facts, without even a little effort to understand, we let them win,” he stated.
Raburu further clarified that speaking up is not about popularity or applause, but about doing what is morally right. He warned against the normalisation of impunity and broken systems in society and encouraged people to remain authentic and grounded in truth.
“We don’t stand up or speak up because we want to be popular or we want accolades. We speak truth to power because it is the right thing to do. The right thing is slowly becoming a foreign concept, but we cannot wallow in the miasma of broken values and systems and the abnormal being treated as normal. We must be true to ourselves, and when we show up as our true, authentic selves, we win,” Raburu wrote on X.
Raburu faces backlash
Raburu’s statement comes moments after he faced backlash on X due to commenting on the Saba Saba protests with emojis instead of using actual words.
A section of online users descended on him with abuses, with some calling him out for what they termed as being too neutral.
