Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti faced an awkward moment during her recent State of the County Address after struggling to read her speech.

A clip of the incident seen by TNX Africa quickly went viral on social media, drawing widespread commentary.

The event, held at a public function in Machakos, saw Ndeti falter while delivering her prepared remarks.

She paused several times, went silent for a moment, and sipped water as she navigated the text.

Critics online took her on, suggesting that she should be better prepared to avoid such difficulties.

Wapendwa,this is the natural result of hiring “my sister’s husband’s cousin’s daughter” to run public offices.

Meanwhile, thousands of qualified Kenyans are busy perfecting the art of “Dear HR Director” emails that never get replies. Cronyism and nepotism aren’t even hiding… pic.twitter.com/im31iUaswL

— ONJOLO KENYA?? (@onjolo_kenya) February 26, 2026

This is not Ndeti’s first public slip-up.

In 2017, she misquoted the Swahili proverb “Yaliyopita si ndwele, tugange yajayo” during her campaign, which quickly became a viral meme.

In 2024, she also stumbled during an oath before a Senate committee, having to redo it after mistakenly including the word “else.”

On Facebook and other platforms, Kenyans mocked the governor, with posts calling for speeches in her mother tongue and questioning her preparation.

One viral caption read, “Next time, the Governor’s speech should be written in the mother tongue.”

Supporters defended Ndeti, attributing the misstep to fatigue or poorly drafted notes, while detractors linked it to broader critiques of governance in Machakos County.

Since becoming governor in 2022, Ndeti has faced scrutiny over her public speaking and leadership style.