This archive report was first published on 8 August 2020.
On August 8, 2020, the internet proved that it never forgets, as Pauline Njoroge's past social media post came back to haunt her.
Just 72 hours after being appointed to the Board of Tourism Regulatory Authority, Njoroge's appointment was revoked due to a disparaging Facebook post she wrote years ago.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala cited the post as the reason for her removal, stating that the Ministry had 'just seen what she had tweeted in the past that Nairobi National Park was useless.'
According to Balala, the Ministry did not want to be associated with individuals who hold such views, saying, 'We do not want to be associated with such people and such thinking.'
The post in question described the Nairobi National Park as economically redundant and made no economic sense.
Social media users quickly brought the post to light, criticizing the Ministry's decision to hire Njoroge in the first place.
Responding to the backlash, Balala expressed gratitude to Kenyans on social media for highlighting the issue, saying, 'We regret we did not know what she had said in the past. We want to take this opportunity to thank Kenyans on social media for highlighting what we had missed during our background check on her.'
As a result of the controversy, Njoroge was replaced by Standard Group Journalist Najma Ismail, effective immediately.
