Kenyan comedian Stella Jemutai, popularly known as Jemutai, has reportedly deactivated her Facebook account following criticism over her recent appeal for financial assistance.
The comedian had asked Kenyans and other well-wishers to help her settle outstanding bills linked to her 11th anniversary and empowerment event.
Jemutai explained that she wanted to clear the debts owed to service providers before bringing an important chapter of her comedy career to a close.
Having spent 11 years in entertainment, Jemutai is recognised as one of the pioneers of Kalenjin female stand-up comedy.
Her appeal, however, attracted mixed reactions from social media users. Some supporters questioned why she was seeking financial help, with critics alleging that she had not always supported similar empowerment initiatives by others.
The comedian had appealed for even small contributions, saying amounts such as KSh 5 or KSh 10 could help her clear the remaining bills.
She also expressed disappointment with politicians from the Rift Valley, claiming that some leaders had promised to support her event but failed to honour their commitments.
According to reports, Jemutai deactivated her Facebook account about an hour after sharing her frustrations regarding leaders who did not attend the event.
The development came as she prepared to move into a new phase of her career after 11 years in comedy.
Despite the online criticism, her decision to settle the outstanding payments before moving forward appeared to be central to her appeal.
Jemutai had also urged her supporters to stand with her one final time as she prepared to pursue a different direction professionally.
Her reported Facebook deactivation has since added another talking point to the reactions surrounding her event and her decision to transition from her long-running comedy chapter.