Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris on Tuesday, September 24, responded to a post by Citizen TV referring to her as a disaster celebrity.
Passaris was one of the legislators who went at the scene of the collapsed classroom in Dagoretti South constituency that claimed eight lives and left more than 64 injured.
In a post on their official Twitter handle, the media house stated that public figures often took advantage of disasters to get attention from the media - coining the term 'disaster celebrities.'
Passaris is one of the politicians quoted as having cashed in on the tragedy. Also quoted was Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie and nominated Senator Millicent Omanga.
Through her Twitter account, Passaris stated, "Really? I was there, assessed the situation, organised for water, soft drinks, bread and milk. Appreciated the bodaboda and youth of Ng'ando for their heroic efforts before the disasters teams arrived.
"I then went about my scheduled duties ending at KNH at 7.00 pm," she explained.
Passaris who had undergone a surgical procedure the previous week noted that she came out of her sick leave upon learning of the tragedy.
"Duty calls. Will take it easy later in the week. I could not sit at home. Took my 'crooked' back out to work. This is when leadership is a sacrifice for those who put you in office when they need you. Today was tough both emotionally and physically," she stated.
She stated that she was committed to serving the needs of the families who lost their children, the students in and out of hospital, their parents, teachers, and the citizens of Ngando ward and Nairobi.
