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Let men be: Lydia Wanjiru defends grown men chasing after iShowSpeed in Nairobi
12th January, 2026 11:05 PM
Content creator Lydia Wanjiru has come to the defence of Kenyan men who were seen chasing and cheering American streamer Darren Jason Watkins Jr., popularly known as iShowSpeed, during his recent visit to Nairobi.
In a video posted on her Instagram stories on January 12, 2026, reacting to criticism that trailed viral videos of grown men running through the streets, chanting and expressing excitement over the influencer, Lydia argued that society is unfairly harsh when men openly show admiration or joy.
“Lakini, we really suffer from double standards and shaming someone for liking someone,” she stated.
Lydia questioned why men were being ridiculed for chasing iShowSpeed and openly declaring their admiration.
She drew parallels with how women behave around people they love or admire, pointing out that women often express affection freely without facing the same level of scrutiny.
“Mbona tunachekelea wanaume because they are running around chasing speed and shouting ‘I love you. Have you ever seen women in places where women they love are , the way they call each other “babe”, “sweetheart”, or “honey”, and the way we obsess looking at other women that we love – can we all also just allow people to be?” she posed.
According to Lydia, expressing excitement, love, or admiration should not be gendered or shamed.
“These are the small joys of love if fine . I actually didn’t know him before this, and I understand. Let people love whoever they want to love,” she added.
This comes after a section of Kenyans took to social media to criticise the conduct of Kenyan men during the just-concluded iShowSpeed Kenyan tour.
Socialite Corazon Kwamboka questioned why crowds of grown men were seen chasing and surrounding the American streamer.
On her Instagram Stories on Monday, January 12, 2026, Corazon said she was not hating on the Kenyan men but was simply being logical about the situation.
She expressed concern over what she described as misplaced excitement, noting that the scenes did little to meaningfully promote Kenya as a tourist destination.
According to Corazon, if the intention behind hosting iShowSpeed was to market Kenya to the world, then the focus should have been on showcasing the country’s iconic attractions and culture.
“Maboys wamejam sana. Poleni, Joh. But I’m not even hating; I’m just being logical. If the goal was to promote tourism, then actually showcase Kenya: the Maasai Mara, Diani, KICC, our culture, our food, our views. That makes sense,” she stated.
Further, Corazon questioned the logic behind thousands of people running after a single individual through the streets, likening the scenes to religious worship.
“Thousands of grown men chasing and surrounding one guy like he is Jesus? For what exactly?” she asked.
“He’s not feeding people, opening opportunities or changing lives. This wasn’t patriotism, abeg, at least if he was giving people money, baas,”
