Nominated senators Millicent Omanga and Karen Nyamu have publicly defended each other against what they described as “false and malicious claims” circulating online.
The two leaders, who are eyeing the Nairobi County woman representative seat, shared similar statements on their social media platforms, dismissing the allegations and urging the public to disregard them.
In her post, Omanga termed the claims about Nyamu as fabricated and aimed at discrediting her.
“The false and malicious claims circulating about @karennyamunbo are completely untrue. We’ll not be reduced to gossip, propaganda, or attempts to link us to fabricated narratives meant to discredit us,” she said.
Nyamu issued a similar statement in defence of Omanga, maintaining that the allegations were baseless.
“The false and malicious claims circulating about @MillicentOmanga are completely untrue. We will not be reduced to gossip, propaganda, or attempts to link us to fabricated narratives meant to discredit us,” she said.
The two also emphasised mutual respect, noting that they recognise each other as leaders and competitors.
The coordinated statements drew attention online, with users reacting to the similarity in messaging.
Some welcomed the approach, while others questioned the nature of the claims being addressed.
Neither Omanga nor Nyamu provided details about the allegations.
However, a post had been circulating online linking the two politicians to malicious sexual claims.
Their response comes amid discourse involving a proposed AI regulation bill sponsored by Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu.
The legislation seeks to establish a comprehensive legal framework for the ethical and accountable deployment of AI in Kenya.
Central to the bill is the creation of the Office of the Artificial Intelligence Commissioner, which would oversee a risk-based regulatory model categorising AI systems into levels ranging from “minimal” to “unacceptable” risk, similar to the EU’s AI Act.
The legislation introduces strict compliance measures for high-risk applications in sectors like healthcare and finance, mandates the labelling of deepfakes, and proposes significant penalties for misuse, including fines of up to Sh5 million or two-year prison sentences.