President William Ruto on Friday surprised Kenyans when he appeared to criticise the song Sipangwingw i, a popular 2022 campaign banger he used to rally ‘hustlers’ against ‘deep state’ and moneyed political formations he said were fashioned against him.
President Ruto who spoke during the second graduation ceremony of the National Defense University-Kenya, in Lanet Nakuru, chided the song by artist Exray Taniua featuring Trio Mio—and which is a lose translation of the Swahili phrase loosely translated to ‘I will not allow anyone to plan me/my life/my choices—terming it a misleading song to young people.
While raising his concerns over the decline in the morals among Kenyans, Dr Ruto regretted that Kenyans have adopted a carefree life as expressed by the song.
According to Dr Ruto the said deviant lifestyle is what has contributed to the breakdown in morals which has posed a serious threat to security in the country.
In what he described as an assignment to the university and other security dockets the President questioned the role of the society in bringing up morally upright citizens.
“What is the place of parents, family, religion, society in bringing up a morally upright patriotic citizenry, so that we can better understand the breakdown that leads into young people committing femicide where family members end up being a threat to themselves and where a society has adopted a deviant belligerent posture.
"You now hear of incidents of maisha ni yangu shughulika na yako . Where does that leave family society, community, religion, tradition and culture?” said President Ruto, making reference to lyrics of the famous Sipangwingwi song.
President Ruto and his Kenya kwanza brigade used the song Sipangwingwi during the 2022 election campaign which he used to rally his supporters he referred to as hustlers against his main competitors who he referred to as dynasty and deep state.
The lyrics of the song—suggesting defiance against established norms and (in his case, State political choices), catapulted a generation that pushed him over President Uhuru Kenyatta’s choice, opposition leader Raila Odinga. The Head of State would, then as deputy president, dance to the song in every campaign rally, his followers singing along to it: That they will not be told what to do.
His change of tune comes two years later where he now views the song as a contributor to decline in moral sense, one among the two issues he believes are the biggest threat to national security.
The second threat to national security according to Dr Ruto is the spread of fake news which he says has fueled misunderstandings and posed challenges to the government's efforts to uphold transparency.
“Because of different spaces of available information, it is much easier to inform, educate, and entertain but it is also equally easy to misinform and disinform the public with fake news that travels miles before the truth can be established. What is the place of fake news, social media and the advent of misinformation, and what effect does it have on the public understanding of governance and institutions responsible for governance?” posed Dr Ruto.
The president in his speech noted that Kenya just like the rest of the world is facing vast and ever evolving challenges which may require a different approach to deal with.
“In an error defined by uncertainty and disinformation, disruption and dynamism, threats and crisis, and discontent and conflict as well as threats and crisis, the challenges are vast , complex and ever evolving including cyberthreats , information warfare, terrorism, climate induced crises, maritime vulnerability alongside,”
He continued “Addressing the challenge requires ability to track rapidly changing dynamics, analyze them using clear evidence using data, evaluate options from a multidimensional perspective and implement strategies informed by multi-disciplinary learning,”
