On social media and in everyday conversations, President William Ruto is now referred to as Zakayo, named after the infamous Zaccheaus, the much-hated chief tax collector in biblical Jericho. AdvertisementSatire and humour have always been legitimate sites for popular engagement with the state in Kenya. Across social media, Kenyans are employing a range of memes drawn from folk, biblical, global and everyday expressions, as well as videos, screen grabs and photographs riffed off circulating news stories to comment on the government’s failings. Enter Riggy G, Kenya's new meme kingResistance legacy in KenyaSatire and humour have historically been important forms of political practice in Kenya. Another problematic law is the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, which the government has routinely used to punish those on social media exposing instances of state corruption.
