Skin Lightening

There is a widespread use of skin lightening products today. Some international and local celebrities have at one point been accused of skin bleaching. ‘Kutoa tint’ is a famous trend that has gained fame in the Kenyan market.

Nairobi‘s River Road which has recently been branded ‘home of cheap and illegal bleaching agents’ is the source of most cheap and dangerous bleaching products.

I have used the famous street severally and I can confirm what happens there. You are always greeted with, ‘Sasa madam, tunauza mafuta’ and the ladies selling them can be compared to a zebra because of the different color shades on their skin.

Among those who have acknowledged the skin lightening claims locally include;

Eunice Wambui aka Nyasuguta.

Eunice is formely a comedy actress in the local TV program Vitimbi.

She based her justification with trying to cover a scar that she got after she was involved in a road accident. However, she likes being light as opposed to her old self.

“A dark person is associated with difficulties are struggles in life on the other hand light-skinned people are associated with success,”Wambui says.

Vera Sidika Mung’asia

Every time the word socialite is used the first name that rings in many people’s mind is Vera Sidika. She admitted to have done skin lightning in a TV interview. Her skin lightning was worth Sh. 50 million and she did it in the United Kingdom.

Vera blamed the society’s take about black skinned people.

‘My body is my business and my source of finances’, says Sidika. She added that her bank account got fat after she lightened her skin.

Bridget Achieng

Bridget is a socialite who features in the local reality program Nairobi diaries.

She confessed to have bleached her skin while speaking to Dr. Ofweneke. Achieng used close to three million to achieve her skin tone.

Before she did it ‘professionally’ she had used cheap River road products and she developed a lot of stretch marks as a result.

Achieng now sells skin lightning products and she admits that the business is doing well.

Khaligraph Jones also known as Brian Robert Ouko

He found himself on the wrong side after allegations went round that he had bleached his skin. The ‘Micasa Sucasa’ rapper was trolled on social media. He later refuted the claims.

The controversial rapper went to an extent of composing a song dubbed ‘toa tint’.