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Amina Abdi hits back at Skai Jackson over Kenya has no mirrors comment
19th July, 2026 11:25 AM
Media personality Amina Abdi has criticised American actress Skai Jackson over comments she made about her visit to Kenya, saying it was unfair to use experiences from one community to describe an entire country.
Amina addressed the issue in a video shared on her Instagram page on Sunday, July 19, 2026, after a clip of Skai Jackson speaking about Kenya began circulating online.
Amina questions Skai’s remarks
In the viral clip, Skai recalled visiting Kenya and claimed that mirrors were expensive, adding that many children she met had never seen their own reflections until they looked at her phone.
“When I went to Kenya, I realised that mirrors are very expensive, so a lot of people don’t know what they look like. But they aren’t insecure about themselves. A lot of the children had never seen their own reflections, so when they saw themselves on my phone, they were very excited and happy,” Skai Jackson said.
Responding to the remarks, Amina expressed surprise that someone who has travelled widely would make such a general statement about Kenya.
“I was just minding my business scrolling through social media and then I came across a video of this young lady. She’s an actress called Skai Jackson saying that in Kenya we don’t know how we look because we don’t have mirrors here,”Amina said.
‘Kenya is more than one experience’
Amina argued that Skai’s experience may have been limited to one location and should not be used to define the country as a whole.
Amina noted that Kenya is a diverse country with modern cities, developed neighbourhoods and world-class tourist destinations.
“What on earth is happening? It’s 2026. As a well-exposed and well-travelled actress, I’d imagine she has access to the internet. You mean to tell me you think, as a country, we don’t have mirrors?” she said.
She further criticised what she described as portraying isolated cases as the reality for every Kenyan.
Warns against ‘poverty tourism’
Amina also raised concerns about what she called poverty tourism, saying some visitors focus only on disadvantaged communities before presenting those experiences as representing the entire nation.
According to her, such narratives create a misleading image of Kenya for international audiences.
“Why would you come for poverty tourism, which is when you visit the poorest parts of our country and then paint it as though the whole population lives like this? That is quite unfortunate,” she questioned.
She added that Kenya is home to modern homes, successful businesses and globally recognised tourist attractions. “You think we don’t have mirrors? We live in mansions. We have some of the most beautiful houses and destinations,” Amina added.
Her remarks have since sparked debate on social media, with some users agreeing that Kenya should not be defined by isolated experiences, while others argued that Skai may have simply been sharing what she personally witnessed during her visit.
The discussion continues online as Kenyans weigh in on how the country is represented by international visitors and public figures.
