Kenyan senator caught thumb-sucking in parliament

The footage, which circulated widely from October 7, shows Nyamu seated in the chamber during proceedings on October 6. She scrolls on her phone before placing her thumb in her mouth. 

The brief moment drew mockery and criticism on social media, with some users describing the behaviour as childish or questioning whether she was paying attention to Senate business.

Others defended her, noting that thumb-sucking can be an unconscious self-soothing habit linked to stress, anxiety, or tiredness, even in adults, and arguing that the brief action did not disrupt proceedings. 

This is not the first time Nyamu has been filmed in a similar situation. 

In October 2024, during another Senate session, she was captured sucking her thumb on camera. At the time, she responded lightheartedly to online trolling by saying she was “still children” (still a child).

As of October 8, 2026, Nyamu has not issued a widely reported public statement specifically addressing the latest video. 

Kenyan Senator Karen Nyamu caught SUCKING HER THUMB and DOOMSCROLLING during Senate sitting The footage sparked online outrage over her conduct https://t.co/CO2gfwWcl7

The incident has amplified ongoing conversations in Kenya about the expected decorum of elected and nominated officials while the House is in session, the role of social media in amplifying parliamentary moments, and personal habits that can appear out of place in formal settings.

Thumb-sucking is typically associated with childhood as a comforting behavior, though some adults retain or occasionally return to it under stress.

While adult thumb-sucking can look unusual, its roots lie in one of the earliest behaviours of human development.

Sucking begins before birth and is controlled by primitive neural circuits involved in feeding and oral movement. In infants, non-nutritive sucking, sucking without feeding, helps provide comfort and regulate emotional responses.

Most children abandon the habit between about two and four years of age. In some people, however, it can persist or return later in life, particularly when they are tired, bored, stressed or seeking comfort.