Tanzania MP Jesca Msambatavu, during parliamentary debate in DodomaA section of Tanzanian Members of Parliament may have thought they were simply voicing their disapproval, but they accidentally poked the digital lion that is Kenyans on X (KoX). And as any East African netizen knows, once KoX gets involved, it’s no longer diplomacy, it’s drama, memes, and unprovoked Photoshop warfare.
It all started when Tanzania’s government deported Kenyan activists, including Martha Karua and Boniface Mwangi, who had traveled to follow up on opposition figure Tundu Lissu’s case. The activists were detained at the airport, with some, like Boniface Mwangi, allegedly held incommunicado for days before being unceremoniously deported visibly shaken . Tanzanian authorities offered no smiles, no tea, and definitely no Wi-Fi.
In response, KoX, the rebranded but still chaotic spiritual sibling of Kenyans on Twitter (KoT), activated Roast Mode. When Tanzanian MPs took to their Parliament floor in Dodoma, not to discuss roads or development, but to throw shade at Kenyan activists and citizens, the line was crossed.
One MP, Jesca Msambatavu, hit a particularly sour note when she implied Kenyans have a reduced intellectual capacity, a comment that nearly caused a meme-fueled civil war.
Operation “Salamu za KoX” Begins
Kenyans responded not with press conferences or diplomatic cables but with something far more terrifying: WhatsApp greetings.
Somehow (let’s not ask how), KoX acquired the phone numbers of several Tanzanian MPs. What followed was the largest unsolicited virtual handshake in East African history. From Bible verses to TikTok links, Kenyans unleashed their arsenal.
Some messaged politely:
“Greetings, Jesca. Kindly focus on Tanzanian issues and leave Kenya out of your monologues.”
Others went for the jugular:
> “If intelligence were airtime, you’d be operating on emergency credit.”
Jesca’s Clapback: The Unexpected Plot Twist
But just when everyone expected Jesca to block, report, and retreat, she did the unthinkable, she replied… and kept replying.
In a hilarious address during a follow-up session in Parliament, Jesca stunned everyone by saying:
“I want to thank my friends from Kenya. I texted with them until 3am. I want to tell them that once I return, we shall continue with our discussion.”
While the rest of East Africa slept, Jesca was deep in DM engaging in digital debate with KoX.
She added:
“For those insulting us, I want to tell those Gen-Zs that a debate is only countered with another, not with insults. You can even create a WhatsApp group and add me.”
With that, Jesca was officially adopted by KoX as an honorary banter queen.
