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 people often give people other nicknames, some are kind, but some are intended to ridicule and 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 Kipchirchir Samoei Ruto. You added the survivor…Zakayo… Now you are in Kasongo (the title of the Congo song is about abandonment and heartbreaking Congo song. 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.
Hostler – Kenyan's words to someone who fights for odds for a living – helped him portray a person who prioritizes the needs of struggling people.
The chicken seller refers to his childhood when he was in the roadside eagle poultry, which resonated with many people who saw their lives as a microcosm of themselves.
“These are very positive [names]. They sold him to the public by voting.
He added: “The name really sticks to Ruto.”
Ruto earns reputation as Kenyans [AFP / Getty Images]
However, 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 Modora recalls the label Arap Mashamba, which was less than a decade ago, translated as “Son of the Farm” and is associated with 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 earned him the label of Jesus' deputy.
But since he took office as president, nickname makers have been working overtime — creating at least a dozen — and they are becoming increasingly important.
Zakayo is a man who stands out – Swahili, named Zaccheaus, a biblical character depicted as a greedy tax collector who climbs 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 often 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” became a rally call for protesters and now it must go to another way to refer to the leader.
The creative baptist also focuses on the allegations that the president likes to travel abroad.
Therefore, the title is the title of Vasco da Ganya – a play by the 15th-century Portuguese explorers Vasco da Gama and Swahili Word Danganya, meaning “lying a lie.”
Ruto's honesty is also questioned with Kaunda Uongoman, who imitates 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 “working very hard and trying to change the economy at the best of its means…it’s normal for any leader to have many nicknames because it means all kinds of attributes and initiatives as a leader”.
Mwaura also argued that despite the nickname of Zakayo, the government must raise taxes to pay for new projects, reduce budget deficits and determine 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 by the government as a sign of intolerance.
Lachon Kiplimo, a 23-year-old college student, said that while he supported the president, some of the promises he made were sometimes “unrealistic”, which gave the nickname.
After Ruto promised to produce one million servings of crepes a day, he cited the use of El Chapo, referring to the former Mexican poison lord to feed 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 the age of social media, whose appetite for keeping an amusing appetite for new content has increased 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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