Renowned economist and President William Ruto's economic advisor, David Ndii recently found himself at the center of an unexpected social media storm.
Following a photo that went viral from a three-day executive retreat in Naivasha, Nakuru County, featuring Ndii alongside President Ruto and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, the advisor's physique became the subject of public scrutiny.
Netizens quickly flooded social media with comments about his weight. However, Ndii wasted no time in hitting back at his detractors, labelling them 'imbeciles' and questioning their priorities in engaging in such trivial discussions on social media platforms.
The economist went further to question the value and intelligence behind such public commentary.
"To be overweight is a personal challenge of little consequence to the public. To be empty-headed, however, is a societal burden," Ndii retorted, expressing his dismay at the trending topic.
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Ndii expressed his frustration with the attention given to his weight rather than substantive issues and the quality of public discourse.
"Ũrimũ ndũrĩ ndawa. (stupidity has no cure). To have so many imbeciles with nothing better to talk on a public platform is a national tragedy," he said.
The response from Ndii garnered support from other eminent people like Dr Ahmed Kalebi who supported him saying weight is something that can be addressed,
Kalebi no one should be ashamed of their body and body negativity should have no place in one's mind.
"Being overweight is an elastic challenge which has many possible contributory factors that can be addressed or managed. There should be no shame in being alive to one’s weight challenges. No one should allow negativity from others on account of weight," said Kalebi.
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Former Isiolo Deputy Governor Abdi Issa said the public should draw a boundary between public and private matters.
"It's crucial to distinguish between private and public matters. David's personal space should be respected, and his performance should not be judged based on his appearance. Let's focus on merit and professionalism," he noted.
The executive retreat, attended by top government officials including Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries, aimed to assess the performance of the Kenya Kwanza administration and highlight key achievements since its inception.