Shiksha Arora among celebrities who turned down the viral sponsored Israel trip
By Valerian Khakayi, November 27, 2025For the better part of the week, Kenyans online have voiced their disappointment with artistes and influencers who recently went on a fully sponsored trip to Israel while the war in Gaza continues.
However, amid the backlash, some public figures have come forward to disclose that they rejected the offer.
Here are some of the celebrities who have publicly claimed they declined the free Israel trip.
Shiksha Arora
The media personality took to her official X account and revealed that she received a call for a fully sponsored content creation trip to Israel, but she rejected the offer immediately
“When I got a call to go on a fully paid trip to promote Israel, I declined it FAST. It’s an obvious no, anyone who has a moral backbone would do the same,” Shiksha said.
“Marketing a country that has repeatedly killed children? Shocked to see influencers justifying this in the name of religion.”
She clarified that the invitation did not include any cash payments.
“There was no monetary incentive offered on the said trip, it was just an opportunity to explore Israel & experience its vibrant culture,” she added.
“No money incentive was offered, it was a fully paid trip in exchange for content & marketing of the country.”
Rachel Gitau
Digital content creator Rachel Gitau, popularly known as Pika na Raych, and her husband William Kamore, known as Kymo, also confirmed that they declined the sponsored trip.
In a video shared on her official social media pages addressed to their followers, Raych explained why they said no.
“I want us to talk about the Israel trip, my husband and I received that particular call, and we got that offer to go to Israel,” she said.
“They were giving you free flights, literally a free trip you were not paid to go on.”
She said they asked the organisers why they wanted them to travel.
“We asked very deep questions. Why do you want us to go to Israel? We want you to go to Israel so that you can show the good side of it. But my husband and I have been following a lot of Israel content and Palestine content,” the content creator added.
According to Raych, they felt influencers were being used to push a narrative.
“They wanted us to go to Israel so that we can show the good side of it, but the truth is, is there any good side right now? No, there is nothing good about Israel right now,” she stated.
“What these public figures do not know is that they are being used to sanitise something that is not good.”
Raych added that rejecting the offer was the best decision for their brand.
“We confidently refused this trip because we knew what it could have done to our brand, and I wish these people could have thought deeper; it was not worth going to Israel,” she added.
Israel trip
The trip, which was fully funded, allowed the artistes to visit historical and spiritual sites in Israel.
However, many Kenyans have argued that posting sponsored, joyful content during an ongoing conflict seemed insensitive and tone-deaf.
Among the celebrities facing backlash are Kambua, Kestin Mbogo, Caleb Karuga, Mwende Macharia, Gadwilliam Kiragu, Mimo Karanja, Sim Simmer, and Evelyne Wanjiru.