Wavinya Ndeti faces backlash over branded milk donations 'Mama na Watoto'

Wavinya Ndeti faces backlash over branded milk donations 'Mama na Watoto'

Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti has come under fire after distributing milk donations branded with her photo and slogan, “Mama na Watoto.”

Photos shared by the governor online show her handing out cartons labelled 100% natural milk, bearing the Machakos County Government logo and a NOT FOR SALE disclaimer.

“The Milk Programme in all our ECDE centres, popularly known as Maziwa ya Mama, is ongoing, providing nutritious milk to our young learners twice every week to support their growth and early learning,” Ndeti captioned the post.

However, the gesture quickly drew backlash online, with critics focusing less on the programme and more on the branding.

The Milk Programme in all our ECDE centres, popularly known as Maziwa ya Mama, is ongoing, providing nutritious milk to our young learners twice every week to support their growth and early learning.

I remain dedicated to ensuring that no child misses school due to hunger,… pic.twitter.com/a24JGEpg29

— Wavinya Ndeti Oduwole, EGH (@Wavinya_Ndeti) February 3, 2026

Some netizens accused the governor of using public resources for self-promotion.

“Branding public goods or school milk with personal portraits reflects political insecurity. These products are funded by county resources, not private contributions, and should remain institutionally branded or neutral at best!” wrote Miwaga Okech on X.

“What is the obsession with politicians branding their photos on public goods? If it were your company, we would expect a company logo. But these are taxpayer-funded goods, not tools for pushing political ideology,” posted another user, CryptoBrian254.

“Why do you have your photo there when public funds are used to provide the milk, not forgetting the extra budget for printing portraits on cartons across the county?” asked Stephen Ismael.

The controversy comes just days after Agnes Kagure faced similar criticism after donating coffins adorned with her campaign posters and branded calendars.

In a post shared on X, calendars featuring Kagure’s face were seen placed atop five coffins.

The coffins were used during a funeral for several street children who had died in recent months. Kagure reportedly covered morgue fees, arranged transport for the bodies, and purchased the coffins.

However, the decision to pair the donation with campaign imagery sparked outrage online, with many calling it inappropriate.

One user, George Diano, wrote: “Agnes Kagure, who’s eyeing the Nairobi governorship, bought coffins to bury street boys found dead at the city mortuary. But she decided to brand them with her posters and calendars. This has to be the height of buffoonery. It’s called Kenyan politics.”