After posts mocking the appearance of Raila Odinga Jr, son of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, made rounds on social media, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has warned that the perpetrators may soon be brought to book.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, October 22, KNHCR demanded an immediate public apology from all individuals who ridiculed Junior, disclosing that it had the social media accounts behind the posts and would release the identities of the owners in due course.
KNHCR warned that it would work with the relevant agencies to ensure the perpetrators of the violation would face the law if the TikTokers did not issue the apology.
The Commission cited the Constitution, which mandated all Kenyans to uphold Chapter Four, centred on the Bill of Rights, which provides for equality, human dignity, freedom from violence and exploitation, and the right to legal capacity, privacy, and family life.
KNHCR’s statement came after several Kenyan social media users, especially on platforms like TikTok, created content that mocks Raila Junior’s facial appearance, lip-syncing videos, distortions, and challenges targeting his facial paralysis.
In most of these videos, seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the TikTokers are lip-syncing to Junior's speeches during the funeral service of his father.
Another demand by KNHCR was that state agencies, particularly the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), ensure full implementation and enforcement of the law.
Junior suffers from Acoustic Neuroma, also known as Vestibular Schwannoma, which is a noncancerous and usually slow-growing tumour that develops on the main (vestibular) nerve leading from your inner ear to your brain.
This condition is a hereditary one, which he has previously admitted he inherited from his mother's side, and it is the reason why the left side of his face is paralysed.
In 2022, he debunked the belief that he had the condition Bell's Palsy, which is a condition that causes sudden weakness or paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face. It is the most common cause of unilateral facial paralysis and is temporary in most cases.
On Tuesday, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura, a person who is differently abled, took to X and called out a section of Kenyans mocking Junior's appearance on social media, calling the practice horrendous.
"It's very wrong to mock someone based on their appearance due to an inherent condition. It's even horrendous to create a 'challenge' to body shame," Mwaura stated.
"Such behaviour reflects more on your poor character and upbringing in the name of content creation. Let's be human for once."
