The story of Neema Bosibori, 20, and Stivo Simple Boy

The management of fast-rising musician, Stivo Simple Boy, has played down cyber-bullying remarks directed at the artiste by social commentator who goes by the name Bosibori on Twitter.

On December 6, 2019, Bosibori, whose real name is Neema Bosibori, commented snidely on a picture of Stivo Simple Boy, suggesting that the Mihadarati hit-maker had attempted to spice up his looks by “applying foundation make-up on his face”.

“Simple Boy, ulipakwa foundation (Simple Boy, did they apply foundation on your face? It seems so),” said Bosibori on the micro-blogging site.

A Twitter handle, @Stivo_boy, said to belong to Simple Boy, whose real name is Steven Otieno, responded to Bosibori’s comment on December 7, 2019, saying: “Bosibori, umekam personal. We will meet some day (Bosibori, your remarks seem like a personal attack towards me. I hope we meet some day so that you tell me the words to my face).”

K24 Digital has since ascertained that the Twitter handle is not run by the artiste.

The Bosibori-‘Simple Boy’ tiff died a natural death, until recently when a picture of Bosibori without make-up made the rounds on social media, prompting a section of users to call her out for ridiculing Simple Boy, yet “she too isn’t as radiant as she looks like when she has make-up on”.

Following the barrage of backlash, 20-year-old Bosibori took to Twitter on Monday, January 13, to issue an apology to Simple Boy, 29, and everyone who was offended by her remarks directed at the artiste.

“Honestly, this experience has made me learn a lot. I am writing this to sincerely apologise if I have ever hurt anyone on this app. This was my worst moments, and, honestly, trolls do affect someone’s life,” she said in her tweet.

K24 Digital reached Stivo Simple Boy’s manager, Oyoo, to comment on the rapper’s reception of Bosibori’s apology.

“First, I would like to state that the Twitter handle that responded to Bosibori in December last year does not belong to Simple Boy. Second, it is no longer new for people online and offline to make fun of Simple Boy’s looks. He has gotten used to the negative energy directed his way, and has learnt how to deal with such. The Bosibori drama, to us, is a non-issue that doesn’t deserve our attention,” said Oyoo.

Cyber-bullying has -- of late -- been rampant on Twitter, with users taking to the micro-blogging site to either body-shame or mock certain people.

Some of the celebrities who have been victims of cyber-bullying include Kobi Kihara, who, in August 2018, was called out for photo-lifting and faking a lifestyle. Another one, is David the Student, who was called out for conning Kenyans living in the US. The Student would, later in August 2018, issue an apology, saying the pressures piled on celebrities to lead a flashy lifestyle pushed him to conmanship.

Radio presenter Linda Nyangweso has also a been a victim of body-shaming. In July 2019, Nyangweso took to Twitter to claim that an online user had referred to her as a "whale" for being plus-size. Kenyans on social media, however, sympathised with her, and encouraged her to embrace her curves.