Kenyans online say President Ruto has turned everyone, even 'baddies', into activists

On any ordinary day, Kenyans on X would use the platform to flirt around, share photo dumps, exchange idle banter and even send out harmless X-rated content just for the fun of it - and the feel of it.

On Tuesdays, for instance, Kenyans would coalesce on X and decide who had said something negative about their beloved country and not just take on the individual but his/her entire country.

This made #KOT to be feared from Uganda to America but of late Kenyans have been preoccupied with trying to take on the government that the banter is over and now other countries are revenging.

They used to keep the previous government in check and they famously bullied President Kenyatta off Twitter, but that used to be a once every five months occurrence as opposed to now when it is almost a full-time job.

In a maturing democracy like Kenya, this can be said to be a good thing as the citizens are more involved in the political process but the transition for #KOT has been monumental.

Now, many are saying all the fun is gone. The thematic days are long forgotten and pretty women, colloquially called 'baddies', are also no longer showing off their sparkly nails and luxuriant hair.

President Ruto has been on a tax-increasing spree since he put down the Bible and is threatening to raid the pockets more with the proposed Finance Bill 2024/2025 and this is what has awakened Kenyans.

The President has said he does not mind the Zakayo nickname Kenyans have given him as long as everyone pays their taxes.

"Ruto has killed all the online fun aki! Back then, baddies would be lighting up our days with their photo dumps or random dumb takes. Now, everyone is an activist. No more good days here. What Ruto has done will never be undone aki!" one Kenyan ranted on X.

Another X user agreed saying, "Baddies ata hawatumi 'rent is due' dumps tena! What witchcraft is Ruto doing on our country!?"

Even Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has noticed the change.

"The civic awakening in Kenya is something to behold. I like that citizens are taking up public spaces to express themselves on key matters. Content creators, comedians, everyone is taking up space hitherto hogged by politicos like me and doing a great job at it! You are calling your MPs finally! Im happy wakenya wenzangu," he tweeted.

James Ngotho, another vexed Kenyan, couldn't help but notice that even the most flamboyant Instagram girls had now been turned into bitter anti-government lobbyists.

"Yaani mpaka Carrie Wahu ako na opinion kuhusu uyu Ruto! Back in the day, the likes of Wahu were just merely existing and blessing us with their beauty! Saa hii ata yeye anajua Ruto sio mtu mzuri aki!"

And to prove just how the Ruto narrative had permeated the Kenyan psyche, someone suggested that you don't even need to be sharp with your pickup lines anymore - just mention Ruto and you're game.

"Streets moving mad nowadays if you want to strike a conversation huku nje with a baddie you just let a loud sigh na useme tu " Hii Kenya ya Ruto" and she'll hit you with the legendary 'Riiiiight!" then a lengthy conversation begins!" they tweeted.

A cursory glance at Kenya's X timeline will reveal that most Kenyans are now more enlightened than ever and are more actively involved in governance advocacy and activism, sparing very little time for idle talk or fancy shenanigans. 

On Instagram, things aren't looking good either. The regular girl you would expect to spend their days cocooned in meticulously-edited reels is now also speaking out on the government and actively educating her fanbase on the ills of the Ruto regime.

Someone noted: "Yaani Ruto amefanya hadi gram baddies waache kutupostia thirst traps, siku hizi wanashare news of how rogue this government is! Waah!"

Since President Ruto's ascendancy to power, Kenya has witnessed an unprecedented spike in digital activism with everyday internet users disseminating multimedia accounts of the numerous scandals, missteps, failings and excesses of the young Kenya Kwanza regime.

By applying hashtags, rallying calls and special catchphrases, Kenya's cyberactivism and real-time analysis has spawned new activists even from people who ordinarily would have very little to say on the government of the day.

In a 2020 paper in the journal Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill professors Deen Freelon, Alice Marwick, and Daniel Kreiss wrote that while one objection to digital activism is that it can’t “substitute for more impactful actions such as voting or offline protest,” it isn’t without its own merit.

They cited research that showed social media activism is a complement to offline engagement and that sharing information about politics on social media predicted offline political activities such as attending political meetings, contacting public officials, donating money to campaigns, shifting the voting patterns and enlightening the larger mass.