A video of outspoken Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo energetically dancing after being introduced by President William Ruto’s aide, Farouk Kibet, has triggered widespread criticism, with many Kenyans accusing the presidential advisor of objectifying female leaders.
In the now-viral clip, Kibet is seen presenting Odhiambo to a charged crowd during a public event. As the lawmaker takes the microphone, she bursts into animated dance moves, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Many Kenyans condemned the display as yet another example of how female politicians are being turned into public spectacles rather than being treated as serious leaders.
Critics said it reinforced a culture of sexual objectification and trivialised women’s role in political spaces.
MP Millie Odhiambo is the last I expected to entertain this kind of nonsense. Farouk has managed to make all of them look like jokers
pic.twitter.com/FMNq4aDJHq — Alinur Mohamed (@AlinurMohamed_) July 26, 2025
“This is not leadership, it’s mockery,” one user lamented on X. “Our mothers and sisters didn’t break barriers in Parliament for this kind of clownery.”
Political commentator Alinur Mohammed faulted Millie Odhiambo for participating in what he termed “entertainment politics,” accusing her of reducing herself to a prop in Kibet’s theatrics.
“Millie should know better. Leaders like her should be rejecting this kind of nonsense, not dancing to it,” he said.
This isn’t the first time Farouk Kibet has sparked controversy for his treatment of female leaders. In a separate incident, he made objectifying remarks about Nominated MP Sabina Chege, referencing her physical appearance in a manner widely viewed as inappropriate.
In yet another incident, Kibet made suggestive comments about Lamu Woman Representative Monicah Muthoni during a rally, seemingly encouraging young men to express romantic interest in her.
The string of episodes has left many Kenyans outraged, with critics calling for accountability and a shift in how women are treated in leadership.
Online, users decried the erosion of decorum in politics, lamenting that the dignity once upheld by pioneering women like Phoebe Asiyo, Wangari Maathai, Orie Rogo Manduli, Grace Ogot and Marjorie Oludhe has been lost.
“What happened to substance in leadership?” asked one user named Chris. “Kenya no longer has women in leadership. Sad to see how the glass ceilings shattered by our icons have been reduced to this. We need to bring back shame and decorum.”
