Karen Nyamu reacts with mockery as Zari and Shakib formally announce their separation
By Ascah Mwango, June 12, 2026The ink was barely dry on one of showbiz’s most meticulously crafted breakup statements before controversial Kenyan politician Karen Nyamu completely tore up the celebrity etiquette handbook.
In a classic display of online unfiltered shade, the Nominated Senator reacted with outright mockery on Friday afternoon, June 12, 2026, after billionaire businesswoman Zarinah Hassan, widely known as Zari the Boss Lady, formally announced her separation from her Ugandan boxer husband, Shakib Cham Lutaaya.
The high-society split, which ends the couple’s headline-grabbing five-year relationship, was delivered to millions of fans via a textbook, public relations-approved Instagram template.
But Nyamu, who has a notorious track record for public relationship drama, was quick to call out the sheer theatricality of modern celebrity splits.
Taking to her own Instagram stories almost immediately after Zari’s post went live, a highly amused Karen Nyamu questioned why famous couples feel the need to broadcast their domestic failures like corporate press releases.
Reflecting on her own viral, messy breakup with vernacular music star Samidoh a few years back, the politician scoffed at the formal wording used by public figures.
“I remember announcing a break up a few years back,” Nyamu wrote, adding a cynical lens to the day’s heartbreak.
“People who announce a break up why do you do it? Mambo ya watu wawili inageukanga announcement aje? Ati we have decided…” (How does a matter between two people turn into an announcement? Saying ‘we have decided…’)”
Nyamu’s sarcastic critique left fans in stitches, given her own history of dramatic public declarations, late-night altercations, and digital mudslinging before ultimately reconciling with her baby daddy.
Nyamu’s mockery stood in stark contrast to the deeply emotional, mature, and carefully worded joint statement posted by Zari and Shakib earlier that morning.
The couple, who tied the knot in a highly publicized ceremony, confessed that they had chosen to walk away after five years of trying to bridge their differences.
“5 years later, after much thought and reflection, we believe it is best for us to part ways due to irreconcilable differences,” the joint statement read.
“While this wasn’t an easy decision, we feel it is the right one for both of us. We appreciate the time we shared, the memories we created, and the support we gave each other.”
Insisting that there was “no anger or resentment” between them, the dynamic duo claimed they had simply grown in different directions but intended to remain close friends with mutual respect.
While Zari’s comment section was instantly flooded with sympathetic messages from African A-listers and devastated fans, Nyamu’s satirical intervention effectively split the internet in two.
Zari has yet to respond to Nyamu’s sub-tweet, but if history is anything to go by, the Boss Lady rarely lets a slight slide without a lethal, high-society clapback.