Kenyan nominated Senator Karen Nyamu has once again attracted attention online after a video showing her sucking her thumb during a Senate sitting sparked debate over parliamentary decorum.
The footage, which circulated widely from October 7, appears to show Nyamu seated in the Senate chamber during proceedings on October 6. She is seen using her phone before briefly placing her thumb in her mouth.
The unusual moment quickly became a subject of discussion on social media, with some users mocking the senator and questioning whether she was fully attentive to proceedings.
Others took a more sympathetic view, arguing that thumb-sucking can sometimes occur as an unconscious self-soothing behaviour associated with stress, anxiety or tiredness. They also noted that the brief incident did not appear to interrupt the Senate proceedings.
The incident has nevertheless revived broader discussions about conduct and phone use inside parliamentary chambers, where lawmakers have previously faced scrutiny over appearing distracted during debates.
It is also not the first time Nyamu has been filmed sucking her thumb during a Senate sitting.
In October 2024, another video showed the senator engaging in a similar act while in the chamber. She responded to the criticism at the time with humour, telling online critics that she was “still children.”
As of October 8, 2026, there was no widely reported public response from Nyamu specifically addressing the latest footage.
The renewed attention has once again placed the senator’s behaviour under the social media spotlight, with Kenyans debating whether the moment should be treated as a harmless personal habit or viewed through the expectations of conduct inside the Senate.
Kenyan Senator Karen Nyamu caught SUCKING HER THUMB and DOOMSCROLLING during Senate sitting
The footage sparked online outrage over her conduct https://t.co/CO2gfwWcl7
— RT (@RT_com) October 7, 2026
