Throw a nickname at President William Ruto and he will most likely embrace it, albeit cheekily. Depict him as a silhouette and his communication team will release an alternative to beat you at your own game — even though there are allegations of other forms of retaliation after the cartoonist behind the silhouettes was abducted.
In politics, President Ruto is proving to be a man who lives by the philosophy of making lemonade out of the lemons handed to him.
So, when you call him Kasongo, referring to the title of a song that has also come to be associated with the cunning and speed of the warthog, the President dances to the song in public.
On New Year’s Eve, attendees of a crossover dinner hosted by Dr Ruto at Kisii State Lodge were left in a mixture of emotions when the DJ played the resurgent 1977 song, Kasongo, just as the President was leaving.
Netizens have been using the hit song’s title to refer to the President, simultaneously sharing silhouettes to lampoon him.
Against the expectations of many, the President danced to the Orch Super Mazembe song, which is a composition about a woman urging her husband, Kasongo, to return home.
President Ruto had just finished leading the gathering on a countdown into the New Year and was on his way out of the main dais to witness the lighting of fireworks when the track streamed from the speakers.
The crowd went into a frenzy as Dr Ruto, alongside First Lady Rachael Ruto, danced to the song as they shook hands with those who had attended the dinner.
Even the members of his security detail were seen enjoying the song as they struggled to shield him from those who tried to move closer to him.
He was joined in the jig by, among others, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura, Water Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa, Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and South Mugirango MP Silvanus Osoro.
It was not immediately established whether the DJ had been asked by the President’s team to play the song so that he could make “lemonade” out of it — just like he did with the “Zakayo” moniker.
On Friday, during the burial of the mother of National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, the President for the first time spoke about the Kasongo moniker with a light touch, as well as the “Zakayo” tag that has been with him for a while.
According to him, there are people who do not want him to focus on development and that is why they are “inciting” the public against the government.
“There are people in the social media who want to continue inciting people, saying there is no development being done, calling me Kasongo and Zakayo. Kasongo sio mbaya, tuendelee nayo (Kasongo is not bad, let us continue with it),” said President Ruto.
The past few days have seen him come out to embrace the criticism and the song, just like he did with the Zakayo nickname that he was given as his tax measures came under scrutiny.
“‘Zakayo’ is also not bad because it speaks to collecting enough taxes to move Kenya forward. In fact, Zakayo was the one visited by Jesus. You are not Zakayo, how will Jesus visit you?” asked the President amid cheers from the mourners.
It was not the first time he was mentioning the Zakayo tag. In February last year, when he was speaking at a Kenya Revenue Authority function in Nairobi, he urged Kenyans to pay taxes to develop the country and said he did not care what name he was being given for his efforts to increase tax collection.
“I don’t mind being called Zakayo…We must roll up our sleeves and develop our country with our own taxes. I will do the right thing for the country irrespective of the names I am being called, including Zakayo,” President Ruto said then.
And when he brought into his Cabinet “experts” from Mr Raila Odinga’s ODM, he cheekily commented during his tour of Muserechi, Baringo County, that at least he will not be called Zakayo alone.
Strategy and leadership specialist Auscar Odhiambo Wambiya said that the President is being a politician by embracing his nicknames. He noted that Dr Ruto is good at this; that instead of getting back at people, he laughs off the criticism and embraces the monikers.
“This only shows that he is tolerant of his critics. It is a political tactic that he should be lauded for as he is using lemons thrown at him to make lemonade,” said Mr Wambiya, a strategic consultant at Milestones Consultants.
There are some observers who feel that, by the President embracing and toying with the nicknames given to him—rather than take them as a ‘wakeup call’ to the ills in the government—Dr Ruto effectively deflates serious issues.
Mr Otieno, a strategic communication adviser with Swift Forum Think Tank, added that Dr Ruto is on a rebranding mission. This, he said, was displayed when he was inspecting projects in Kisii and Kakamega where he accused contractors of delaying mega projects.
“By embracing the nicknames and criticism and combining it with reading the riot act to contractors instead of defending them for delaying development projects, Dr Ruto appears to be siding with the people and endearing himself to them. This means that his communication team is on top of things,” said Mr Otieno.
But not many are happy about the current events despite President Ruto trying to deflate the matter.
“Mr President, you are sitting on a time bomb because the young people are confused, angry and hungry. I do not understand why those close to you are not telling you the truth. The ground is hostile, and something has to be done. Speak with the young people and listen to them,” said Obinna.
To him, bringing Mr Raila Odinga’s allies into his administration cannot change the anger, hunger and the disappointment by a section of Kenyans who feel dissatisfied with the Kenya Kwanza regime, especially on the recent abductions of anti-government critics.
