90s oldies song crowns UhuRuto breakup

The popular Kikuyu benga song “Reke Tumamwo” (let us part ways), took a political dimension during the Sagana III meeting on Wednesday as President Uhuru Kenyatta took head-on his Deputy William Ruto, dismissing him as an untrustworthy person not fit to lead Kenya.

The 1990s hit by Peter Kigia punctuated the President’s high-voltage speech and was played repeatedly whenever he took a direct hit at his erstwhile “brother” Dr Ruto. The charged crowd, mainly from the newly rebranded Jubilee Party, danced and jubilated to the tune, as the “red army” cheered him on.

The song is about friends going their separate ways, with each taking their own burden.

President Kenyatta’s mood during his speech was reflected in the song, whose lyrics deliver an angry message.

The main character is fed up with a hitherto good friend/lover who the song implies turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

He says that "today's the day, we have to break up!" He also equates his lover to Judas, who despite kissing Jesus went ahead and betrayed him.

The opening stanza goes thus: “Today I have decided we part ways, even if we are related, let’s go our separate ways, whoever was dependent on the other, let each carry their own burden, time for being a burden to each other is up.”

Other lines say: “Let our friendship die today, whatever you used to give me free you can start selling it to me, you should know that the world will not collapse just because we have parted ways.

“Let me tell you I’m an angry person, I will never trust you again, you are like Judas, who betrayed Jesus.”

President Kenyatta, in his hard-hitting speech, accused his deputy of being a corrupt and dishonest individual and asked Kenyans not to trust him with the leadership of the country, effectively marking a dramatic end to their rocky political marriage.