A young Kenyan man has gone viral after claiming that a motorbike he posed with at State House — one he believed was a gift — never actually made it into his possession.
In an online video now making the rounds, the youth recounts how he was invited to State House for what he thought was a special handover ceremony. According to him, he had been led to believe that the boda boda he was pictured with was his reward.
“Najilaumu, tena mi mwenyewe najichukia kwa kujipeleka statehouse. Mi mwenyewe nilipigwa picha na pikipiki na kifunguu ya pikipiki.Nikaambiwa enda pale kwa gate unaletewa. Hiyo gate ukitoka hivi, G.S.U enda nyumbani.”
The post has sparked a storm of responses online, with Kenyans on X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Facebook weighing in.
Some sympathised, calling the incident “cruel” and “dishonest.”
“You can’t play with people’s hopes like this. That young man already saw his future changing,” one X user wrote.
Others took a lighter view, joking about “Empowerment” being limited to selfies and handshake photos.
“At least he didn’t leave empty-handed — now he has a profile pic for life,” another user quipped.
Memes quickly followed, with photoshopped images showing the youth riding everything from a wheelbarrow to a donkey, captioned “new State House delivery.”
This isn’t the first time Kenyans have accused leaders or institutions of staging gift-giving moments for publicity without delivering on the promises.
His revelation has sparked a wave of reactions, with some sympathising over what they see as a cruel letdown, while others joked about the “State House souvenir experience” where you leave with memories, not motorbikes.
While State House has not issued any official comment on the matter, the story has ignited debate about publicity stunts and the expectations they create—especially among unemployed youth hoping for tangible opportunities.
In past election cycles, there have been complaints from groups who posed with items such as sewing machines, water tanks, or sports gear, only for the equipment to vanish after the cameras stopped rolling.
Similarly, some farmers have alleged in previous years that they were pictured receiving fertiliser or tools that never arrived, with the distribution reportedly happening only for a select few while others were left empty-handed.
The incident has also ignited broader conversation about political and institutional PR in Kenya. Critics argue that such staged moments can mislead the public into thinking help or resources are being widely distributed, when in reality only a handful — or no one — benefits.
