Inside Vera Sidika and Akothee's Clash Online Over Kenya Airways

An online disagreement between social media personalities Vera Sidika and Akothee over Kenya Airways (KQ) has continued to attract attention, with several celebrities and passengers joining the conversation and sharing their experiences with the national carrier.

"Na mjue maceleb wenye huwa wanapigia KQ kelele ni vile wamenyimwa free tickets ama special treatment. Nunua tu tikiti yako ya business class kama Akothee get business class treatment kama utafika bei and support the Nation."

Vera Sidika Details Disastrous Travel Ordeal

The dispute started after Vera criticised KQ, citing what she described as repeated delays, poor communication and disappointing customer service.

In a series of Instagram posts, Vera opened up about what she termed her “recent WORST experience” with KQ. She explained that she was scheduled to fly back to Kenya on August 4 and arrive on August 5 at 6 am, before catching another Business Class flight to Mauritius at 9 pm the same day.

"Btw, I have had so many bad KQ experiences over the years & I have never spoken about a single one of them publicly."

Vera claimed she arrived at the airport at around 8 pm, only to be informed that her flight to Nairobi had been cancelled. She said she had not received any prior communication from the airline and had to seek information from staff at the airport.

According to Vera, KQ officials told her they were working on the situation and that the flight could leave the following day. However, she alleged that there were no meaningful updates throughout August 5 and that a supervisor who had given her his phone number did not respond to her calls.

She said she eventually returned to the airport to find out what was happening and claimed the flight finally departed at 1 am. Vera said the ordeal took 55 hours before passengers were finally put on a plane, causing her to miss her subsequent Mauritius flight and lose money on non-refundable hotel and travel bookings.

Vera also claimed she had submitted a complaint to KQ but had not received an apology.

Akothee Defends National Carrier Amid Clackback

Akothee responded by defending KQ and questioning why Vera continued flying with the airline if she disliked its services.

She said she had been a KQ passenger for more than two decades and personally purchased her tickets.

"So you hate KQ, but still boarded it. Why didnt't you stick to your preferred Airline?"

Akothee argued that flight disruptions can result from factors such as weather, technical issues, runway conditions and other operational challenges.

She also suggested that some celebrities complain about KQ because they expect free tickets or special treatment.

Vera hit back, insisting that she flies Business Class with KQ and that her criticism was based on her personal experiences.

She also argued that KQ remains one of the few direct flight options for certain destinations from Kenya, meaning travellers sometimes have limited alternatives.

"Talk about projecting. Isn't she the one who gets free tickets and then spend the entire flight singing KQ praises from morning to night?"

Public Figures and Passengers Weigh In

The exchange has since attracted reactions from celebrities and members of the public.

Nurse Judy sided with Vera, writing: “I'm with Vera on this one. I ranted the first time I flew alone, decided to give them a chance when going for vacation with my fam, NEVER AGAIN, they did us bad, my kids were crying from the frustration they put us thru!! I love Akothee but point yake ya leo hapana!!!! ey just cz she gets free tickets or affords whatever our experiences are not invalid”

DJ Joe Mfalme offered a different perspective, saying: “@akotheekenya I love KQ a lot. Buy Kenya, build Kenya BUT since I experienced the Q Suite on Qatar Airways, and the premium economy in the new Emirates A350 aircraft, I saw the light 😂 BUT I still love KQ 😊”

Other users also weighed in, with one writing: “Q must be ashamed to have such an influencer, you literally went after Vera for no reason, @officialkenyaairways your influencer is deinfluencing people 😂😂🤭”

Another defended Vera, saying: “Vera is making noise on her experience…if your delayed experience was unavoidable then yes…maintain silence…freedom of speech…like her page her rights…she can say whatever she wants with her experience…..a lot of people have complained about their experience with the same airline…they are not boarding again…I have said that I’ll maintain British Airways…let it rest….Vera is so unproblematic, classy and sassy…muache…huyo si Nyako please!.”

A third commenter criticised Akothee’s position, writing: “Akothee hukuwa kienyeji chini ya maji😂 simply because you had a good experience doesn't mean it's like that kwa kila mtu, vera is classy and she always comes with a receipt tafta to nyako mjibizane huyo Ndio. League yako😂😂”

Catalyst Behind the Online Clash Escalates

The feud began after Nairobi Gossip Club shared a post about a Kenya Airways plane that reportedly suffered a tyre burst while landing in Cape Town.

The post drew Vera’s attention, prompting her to share her frustrations with the national carrier and criticise what she described as repeated poor experiences.

As the exchange escalated, Vera later took to her Instagram Stories and directly addressed Akothee, writing, “And please tell her anikome, I'm not the one to play with this is not Nyako.”