Digital content creatorLiz Jackson has sparked discussion after sharing a series of Instagram Stories questioning the growing culture of fundraising for personal celebrations, church projects and expensive funerals.
In the posts, the influencer said she does not contribute towards certain causes, arguing that people should plan within their means instead of relying on friends, family or the public to finance them.
Her comments also touched on funeral budgets, where she questioned why some burial committees seek hundreds of thousands of shillings in contributions.
“Why are we contributing?”
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Liz began by listing three areas where she says she no longer contributes financially.
The first was weddings.
According to her, couples should organise ceremonies they can comfortably afford instead of asking others to help fund the event.
“Anything marriage-related. You are the ones getting married; why are we contributing? If you don’t have enough money, just do a wedding at the AG.”
She also questioned fundraising for birthday celebrations, saying gifts should be voluntary rather than expected.
“It’s your birthday. If people decide to gift you, that’s fine, but demanding us to contribute?”
The third issue she raised was frequent fundraising in churches.
Liz wondered why some congregations regularly seek donations for construction projects.
“Church things. Why are we constructing every week? Doesn’t the church have a budget? Or are we the budget?”
Questions over expensive funerals
In another Instagram Story, Liz turned her attention to funeral expenses.
She questioned why some burial committees set budgets running into hundreds of thousands of shillings, saying the money could instead help families left behind.
“Guys, why do people do extravagant burials? Like the person is already gone. Shouldn’t the funds be directed to the dependants’ school fees, basic needs, etc?”
She also criticised the expectation that mourners should be provided with meals throughout the mourning period.
According to Liz, bereaved families are already dealing with emotional and financial pressure without having to cater for large numbers of visitors.
“Why are people going to omboleza expecting to be fed daily? Isn’t the family mourning?”
Funeral costs remain a major concern.
Funeral expenses remain a significant financial burden for many Kenyan families. Costs can include mortuary fees, transport, catering, tents, public address systems, burial preparations and other logistical expenses. In many communities, families also organise fundraising drives—commonly known as harambees—to help meet these costs.
Liz said her own family’s experience was far less costly.
“My grandma’s burial was 150k max. Na maisha ikaendelea. What is a 700k–1M budget for?”
Her remarks have added to ongoing conversations on social media about personal responsibility, fundraising culture and whether major life events should be scaled to match one’s financial ability.
