Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu has been forced to apologise over inappropriate remarks she made while welcoming a student participating in the Senate’s school volunteer service scheme.
The student had been visiting the Speaker’s Gallery on Wednesday when Nyamu demanded that the student's role be clarified, comments that were widely criticised as disrespectful and inappropriate towards the young female learner.
Following the incident, Speaker Amason Kingi directed the senator to issue an apology.
Nyamu later acknowledged that her utterances were unacceptable and offered an unreserved apology to the Senate, the student, the family, and the public.
While later presenting a written, unreserved apology to the Senate, she admitted that her statements fell short of the dignity and respect expected of a state officer, adding that she complied out of respect for Senate procedures and to avoid further consequences.
“I acknowledge that the utterances I made on Wednesday while welcoming the student were inappropriate and fell short of the dignity, decorum and respect expected of a state officer, particularly towards a young female learner. I reaffirm my commitment to uphold the values and integrity of the Senate and to treat all people, especially young people engaging with Parliament, with the respect and dignity they deserve,” she said.
However, the incident had already elicited backlash from fellow women politicians and leaders.
"That was not a joke. It was sexual innuendo directed at a 15 year old girl by Karen Nyamu, a sitting Senator of the Republic of Kenya, and a mother of daughters herself.
What makes it even more disturbing is the lack of remorse. The apology was clearly reluctant and only came after sustained pressure from fellow Senators and public outrage. But she kept protesting even as she read it," slammed Pauline Njoroge in a Facebook post.
The incident follows other occasions in which Nyamu has faced criticism, including a September 2025 incident where Speaker Kingi admonished her over her attire, warning that improper dressing could result in her being asked to leave the chamber.
In June 2025, Nyamu was also forced to apologise following intense backlash from netizens over her remarks on the death of Albert Ojwang.
At the time, she retracted earlier comments in which she had subtly cast blame on the opposition and hinted at a self-abduction narrative.
