Nairobi County’s Chief Environment Officer, Geofrey Mosiria, has come under fire online after making what many termed “insensitive” remarks about a Tanzanian tribe caught on camera preparing and eating monkeys.
In a viral social media post, Mosiria shared a video of men and women preparing monkeys for food, writing that he hoped such practices would never happen in Kenya.
“I’ve been watching this man eating animals that are not meant to be eaten, and I feel this shouldn’t be happening. He is shaming us Africans and making us look like animals in the eyes of whites,” Mosiria had written.
But Kenyans quickly pounced on him, castigating him for his remarks, forcing him to edit and update the post.
In the fresh post, Mosiria went on to suggest that Tanzania’s economic struggles and restrictions on foreign hawkers stem from such lifestyles, adding that Kenyans should focus on helping their neighbors instead of looking down on them.
His remarks, however, were already too late.
Critics accused him of reinforcing colonial stereotypes and dismissing African cultural practices through a Western gaze.
Prominent journalist Lynn Ngugi was among the first to call him out.
In a strongly worded response, she argued that Mosiria’s comment reflected everything broken about how Africans view themselves.
“Why is it that when an African eats whatever he wants, he’s branded as “uncivilized” and a shame to the race, yet in China and other countries, eating snakes, bats, or dogs is embraced as cultural cuisine and even protected as tradition?” Ngugi asked.
People like Mosiria reflect everything broken about how Africans view themselves through colonial eyes. Why is it that when an African eats whatever he wants, he’s branded as “uncivilized” and a shame to the race, yet in China and other countries, eating snakes, bats, or dogs is… pic.twitter.com/F9AFIphfAl
— Lynn Ngugi (@lynn_ngugi1) August 19, 2025
“Who gave the world the power to decide that African practices are barbaric while others are heritage?” she posed.
The debate quickly spread on X, attracting thousands of engagements.
Bishop Lallo commented, “He doesn’t really care, he’s just posting for likes,” he wrote, suggesting the officer could even be eyeing a political seat, given how public controversy can drive attention.
“He would have let him eat in peace,” another user Mr. Izzla wrote.
The Hadza are a unique indigenous ethnic group in Tanzania, considered one of the last true hunter-gatherer societies on Earth.
They are unique for maintaining a nomadic lifestyle with an egalitarian social structure, lacking formal leaders or a fixed social hierarchy.
Their culture, including their language, which is a language isolate with click consonants, has remained remarkably distinct and isolated from neighboring agricultural and pastoral tribes for thousands of years.
The Hadza diet is highly diverse and seasonal, consisting entirely of wild foods.
They rely on hunting game, foraging for wild berries and tubers, and are particularly known for their expert ability to find and harvest honey, which is a significant part of their caloric intake.