Comedian and scriptwriter Eddie Butita has recently addressed the criticism he faced for not publicly taking a stand on the Finance Bill protests in Nairobi on time.
Asked if his relationship with the president influenced his actions, Butita said there is a certain way to communicate with a friend.
Eddie Butita
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Butita, who had accompanied President William Ruto to the U.S., explained his reasons for not speaking in time.
Eddie Butita: Going to the U.S. with Ruto doesn't mean I have role in the govt faults
Butita trended on social media for several days after failing to join other Kenyans in protesting against the Finance Bill.
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Eddie Butita
Eddie Butita
Pulse Live Kenya
Many assumed his silence and trip with the president meant he supported the bill. However, Butita revealed in a conversation with Betty on August 2 that he was against the bill from the beginning.
Butita explained that he had been opposed to the Finance Bill long before the protests began. He shared that he had even submitted a document expressing his concerns about the bill. "If anybody had a chance to participate in their own space in that conversation that was happening in the U.S., they would have done it because that was also my duty as a citizen of this country," he said.
Butita emphasised that his trip to the U.S. did not imply support for the government's decisions. "What people don't know is that kuna vitu ata mi nilikuwa nadisgree nazo earlier enough in that Finance Bill. We even did a document nikasubmit. I'm also a citizen of this country, and every bad decision might affect me. Kuenda US doesn’t mean ati kuna role yenye mi naplay kwa faults government inafanya. Kama kuna faults then ni zao," he clarified.
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Comedian and film maker Eddie Butita
Comedian and film maker Eddie Butita
Pulse Live Kenya
Butita's friendship with the President Ruto
Butita acknowledged that many celebrities rejected the Finance Bill to maintain their popularity with fans. He, however, chose to stay true to his beliefs.
"Nilijiambia ni sawa. Yule ataniunderstand ni sawa and those who will not pia ni sawa. In this world, I've learned am responsible for what I say and do, but how you understand it and react is not my responsibility," he stated.
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When asked if his relationship with the president influenced his delayed response, Butita admitted there is a certain way to communicate with a friend.
"That is also true. Am your friend if something happens there is a way I communicate or address it to you. For me, I already played a role. Unfortunately, I didn't know how much influence I have in the country coz mi ni msanii tu. Later I realised it matters to communicated about it...I should have done it earlier... But I should also not be blamed because nikiwa beshte yako kuna vile nakuongelesha," he said.
Eddie Butita
Pulse Live Kenya
Butita lost over 4K followers
The comedian revealed that his silence led to misunderstandings and backlash.
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"People attack brands when they are at their lowest... But I didn't do any crime and hakuna kitu ningedo about the situation. When it started nilitoka mtandao... When people started calling and texting after my number leaked ndio nilijua mambo imechemka kwa mtandao," he explained.
The comedian shared that around 4,000 people unsubscribed from his channel during the controversy. However, he gained followers on other platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X.
"I realised when a narrative has been pushed that Butita is silent because he is on the government side, there are people who will forever believe that. They need to know which side am on... I think wasee hawataki hiyo silence, so I thought the best thing ni kuongelea," he said.
Eddie Butita
Eddie Butita
Pulse Live Kenya
Butita's reflection & apology
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Despite the criticism, Butita viewed the experience as a time for reflection. "We went through that na ziliisha... Hakuna crime nimefanya. Hizi ni moments we can't avoid. Once you are in the limelight, you sign up for a lot of this. It has its highs and lows. That was a low kidogo for me, but it came when a lot of things were happening. It also gave me an opportunity to reflect on things that it could happen anytime," he said.
Butita also apologised to anyone who might have misunderstood his stance. "Kama kuna msee alimisniterprate stand yangu, pole sana. Nilirealise timing is very crucial on how you address matters of national importance. It's very key," he concluded.
Butita was also reported to have deactivated his YouTube channel amidst the heat. He has now reactivated it, and it has over 340K subscribers.
