Kenyan President William Ruto is a man with many nicknames.
Jesus’ deputy agent, El Chato, liar and chicken seller are just what he has obtained in recent years.
As is often the case with other nicknames, some are kind, but some are intended to ridicule, while others reflect deep anger.
The history of the president's alias provides a window for his change in his view of him.
Ruto acknowledges the trend of this trend, and recently joked that Kenyans are “completed” him with numerous labels.
“You gave me a lot of names. My name is William Gippgil Chil Samaye Ruto. You added survivors…zakayo… Now you are in kasongo [the title of a Congolese song about abandonment and heartbreak]. Will you stop at 10, or should I prepare for more? ” he asked recently.
At a rally in the capital Nairobi, the crowd replied that they had more.
Before being elected president in 2022, Ruto attracted a handle on his reputation as a people.
fraud – Kenyans say to someone who makes a living with compensation, portraying him as someone who will prioritize the needs of struggling people.
Chicken SellerIn his childhood, when he sold poultry on the roadside, his life was a microcosm of himself.
“These are very positive [names]. They sold him to the public by vote.
He added: “The name really sticks to Ruto.”
Ruto earns reputation as Kenyans [AFP / Getty Images]
But the president has long been a high-profile figure in Kenyan politics, including serving as vice president for nine years until 2022, and has never been far from controversy.
Professor Donola recalls tags Arap Mashamba – Translated as “the son of the farm” – created only ten years ago and related to Ruto's ownership of a large amount of land across the country. Some of these acquisitions have attracted attention.
In 2013, the court ordered Ruto to surrender a 100-acre (40-hectare) farm and compensate a farmer who accused him of capturing the farmer in the post-2007 election violence. He denied any misconduct.
Ruto's preference for quoting biblical verses also won him Jesus' agent Label.
But since he took office as president, nickname makers have been working overtime — creating at least a dozen — and they are becoming increasingly important.
What stands out is Zakayo – Swahili for the name Zaccheaus, a biblical character, depicted as a greedy tax collector, climbing up a tree to see Jesus.
The Ruto government has proposed a series of unpopular taxes, and many Kenyans have begun to say he has betrayed the “liar”.
Professor Mandora said: “He failed to deliver after he became president.”
The pain of paying more taxes and the perception of wasting extra money are the focus of many conversations.
Last year, young people protested for weeks on the streets of Nairobi, which was fatal, against the new government's proposal to raise taxes and later canceled taxes.
Last year's anti-tax protests have left young people angry at the government's economic situation [Anadolu / Getty Images]
The hymn “ruto must go” becomes a rally call for protesters, now Must go Has become another way to refer to leaders.
The creative baptist also focuses on the allegations that the president likes to travel abroad.
Therefore the title Vasco da Ganya – Drama in the name of the 15th century Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama and Swahili word Danganya, meaning “lying a lie.”
Ruto's honesty is also questioned Kaunda Uongomanimitating the late Congolese musician Kanda Bongoman.
The first part refers to the president's love for Kaunda suits – a safari jacket with matching pants and Uongoman, which contains Swahili Word Uongo, meaning “Lies”.
But the president seems not to be subject to the volley of this verbal attack.
In the presidential office, the manifold nickname “don’t get people’s attention” but just “capture how people view a person”, government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said.
He told the BBC that Ruto was “very hands-on, doing his best to change the economy…it is normal for any leader to have many nicknames because it means various attributes and initiatives as a leader”.
Mvola also argued that the government must raise taxes to pay for new projects, reduce budget deficits and address the economy.
However, officials react negatively when people not only invent new names, but also use satire and art forms to mock the president.
Some comics and AI-generated images, including displaying the president in a coffin, are described as “reckless” and “offensive.”
Some of the alleged producers of these online content are victims of kidnapping. Professor Mandora said this should be seen as a sign of government intolerance.
Lachon Kiplimo, a 23-year-old college student, said some of his commitments were “unrealistic” and added to the nickname.
He quoted the use El ChapoAfter Ruto's machine that promised to produce one million pancakes a day, also known as Kenya's Chapo, refers to the former Mexican lord, raising school children in the capital.
Pancakes – popular street food in Kenya – also known as Chapo [AFP / Getty Images]
However, Mr. Kiplimo believes that the way the president removed from his nickname actually seems to embrace the nickname, showing how powerful he is.
Professor Mandora believes that young people who propose alternative labels for the president do this in a form of catharsis, which is a way to release tensions.
This view was supported by 24-year-old student Margaret Wairimu Kahura, who said many Kenyans were “in pain.”
She felt mocking was a way for Ruto to know what young people felt.
She said no other Kenyan president was subjected to such a satirical measure, “It is unique [but] In a bad way”.
Indeed, the previous heads of state had nicknames, but not so many.
The last president, Uhuru Kenyatta, was called Kamwana (“little boy”), Jayden (the Kenyan mentioned a pampered or lazy child) and Wamashati (because he likes to print shirts).
His predecessor, Mwai Kibaki, was known as General Kigoya (the scared general) and the fence nanny.
Perhaps in the age of social media, the satisfaction of new content that keeps amused with new content increases the trend of name calling.
But for many, like Ms. Kahura, the number of Ruto's nicknames is a real reflection of “the different problems people face.”
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