Ciku Muriuki addresses “red thigh” allegation and touches on Charlie Ouda’s suicide

Media personality Ciru Muriuki has addressed online rumours surrounding her dating history following the death of her partner, Charlie Ouda, dismissing claims that linked her to several men and labelled her a “red-thigh woman.”

Speaking during an interview on Sunday, June 21, 2026, Ciru said she was shocked by how quickly some people began creating stories about her personal life while she was still grieving.

Rumours emerge

Ciru explained that social media users circulated claims connecting her to several men, including the late presenter Saliva Vick and an alleged Indian man she supposedly dated while studying at the United States International University (USIU).

She, however, rejected the claims, saying some of the details did not even align with her actual life experiences.

“There was a woman who went on Twitter and said I dated Saliva Vick when I was in USIU,” Ciru recalled.

The journalist clarified that although she and Saliva Vick shared a close bond, they were never in an official relationship.

“Talking stage” with Saliva Vick

Setting the record straight, Ciru described her connection with the late presenter as a close friendship that briefly existed at a different level but never became a relationship.

“First of all, me and Vick, we never dated. We were very close, and it was a talking stage, but we never dated,” she said.

She spoke warmly about Saliva Vick, describing him as a talented and humorous person who would likely have excelled in the current podcasting era.

“He was a top-tier guy, very funny,” she said.

Denying USIU and dating claims

Ciru also laughed off claims that she had dated an Indian man while studying at USIU, pointing out that she never attended the university.

“I was in awe. I was like, when was I in USIU? I’ve never been to USIU. I was never a student of USIU. I’ve never dated an Asian man,” she said.

She questioned why such rumours emerged shortly after Charlie Ouda’s passing, suggesting that some people were more focused on creating narratives than respecting her grief.

Addressing the “red-thigh” label

During the conversation, Ciru also responded to claims that she had been called a “red-thigh woman” following Charlie’s death.

She explained that the term was linked by some people to a Kikuyu cultural belief, where it is allegedly used to describe a woman who has lost multiple partners.

“After Charlie’s death, people called me a red-thigh woman. Apparently, it comes from Kikuyu culture, where when a woman has lost seven partners, that’s when she’s called a red thigh woman,” she said.

Ciru questioned the reasoning behind applying the label to her and criticised those who made assumptions about her life without knowing her reality.

She emphasised that grief should not become an opportunity for people to spread false stories or judge someone’s personal journey.