Wahu
Rosemary Wahu Kagwi, popularly known as Wahu has reacted after being body shamed on social media. The Kenyan singer-songwriter, former fashion model, actress, and entrepreneur was bullied when she a posted picture while attending the first joint committee meeting under the Talanta Hela initiative, where she is serving as a creative council member.
Wahu, who recently had a baby clapped back at her critics who accused her of piling on some weight, saying,
“Sure I, have added a lot of weight…22.5kgs to be exact actually, for those who know me, I always add weight when pregnant. with Tumiso I added 27kgs,” she said.
What puzzled the singer more was the fact that the majority of her body shamers were in fact, women.
“Unfortunately, many of these were by women. These were overtaken by an overwhelming number of +ve comments, again, the majority being by women,” she said.
Unpurtubed by the negativity, the award-winning singer used this moment to reach out and encourage other victims of body shaming.
“To anyone who has ever been body shamed, remember, what the shamers say is not a reflection of you … it’s really a reflection of the quality of person they are…so don’t take it their negativity to heart,” she said.
Body shaming or fat shaming is the act or practice of negatively judging someone based on their physical appearance. There’s not enough data on the numbers but celebrities, politicians, and public personalities especially women exposed to the limelight and are often affected more. In Kenya for instance, politicians like Esther Passaris and Millicent Omanga have been subjects of body-shaming and online harassment.
In February 2021, Wahu came to the defense of Former State House Spokesperson Kanze Dena when she was bullied by Kenyans on Twitter.
“Such a shame to see people, more so women body shaming a woman especially after she’s just given birth… We can do better guys… let’s be better,” she said.
Other women who have been body-shamed include Nyawira Mumenya (Miss Nyawi), an Award-winning content creator; publisher of the blog Curves With Style. The style influencer and Sharon ‘Shazz’ Nderitu, a plus-size model and body positivity ambassador, shared their experiences with Queenter Mbori on Her Standards.
