Ciru Muriuki calls for responsible podcasting after Andrew Kibe remarks on Ofweneke’s show
By Steve Ireri, June 28, 2026Media personality Ciru Muriuki has weighed in on the ongoing debate sparked by Andrew Kibe’s controversial remarks about musician Stevo Simple Boy, using the moment to call for greater responsibility within Kenya’s fast-growing podcasting industry.
Speaking in a TikTok video on Sunday, June 28, 2026, the veteran broadcaster revealed that she had deliberately chosen not to comment on Kibe himself, noting that enough people had already addressed his remarks.
She said she was more concerned about the culture that has increasingly seen podcasts prioritise controversy and outrage in pursuit of views.
“Well, I am not going to discuss what that man said about Stevo Simple Boy because enough has been said about it, and I also have made a vow never to address that person directly,” she said.
Instead, Ciru shifted the conversation to what she described as the responsibilities that come with owning and hosting a podcast.
According to her, every podcaster should recognise that they are not merely content creators but media owners whose decisions carry significant influence.
“What I will address, however, is the art of podcasting and people understanding that if you have a podcast, you are a media owner, and you have a responsibility to yourself and to your guests,” she said.
Ciru argued that one worrying trend in Kenya’s podcasting space is the growing obsession with “rage bait”, which means deliberately provocative content designed to trigger public outrage and attract views.
She lamented that meaningful conversations were increasingly being sacrificed in favour of controversy.
“One thing I have noticed lately about the Kenyan podcasting space is we have realised that rage bait is what is getting views in Kenya. So we have put aside real content just to rage bait people,” she said.
Without naming Dr Ofweneke directly in that particular statement, Ciru suggested that the same pursuit of viral moments was what led to Andrew Kibe appearing on the podcast and being given space to air controversial opinions.
“So that is how that person ended up on Dr Ofweneke’s podcast. And that is how that person was allowed to speak,” she said.
Ciru further criticised the discussion that unfolded during the interview, saying it ventured into dangerous territory by touching on ideas linked to eugenics.
According to her, such views should never be normalised or casually discussed on influential platforms.
“And talk about eugenics, even forgetting that eugenics is a racist idea. And if you have to apply eugenics, you also should not be having children,” she said.
The media personality went on to outline what she believes should guide every podcast host.
First, she said, podcasters must be careful about who they invite onto their platforms.
Secondly, they should pay close attention to the nature of the conversations they facilitate.
Finally, they should think critically about the long-term impact of the content they publish online.
“So about podcasting, if you are a podcaster, you have to be really careful about who you give a platform, number two, what you are talking about and number three, what you put out on the internet,” she said.
Ciru warned that while controversial content may generate impressive viewing figures in the short term, creators should also consider how they will feel about that content years later.
“Because you might have this idea and you feel it’s going to reach a lot of people and I’m going to get many views, but you don’t know whether next year’s version of you will look at that podcast and wonder, ‘What was I doing?'” she said.