Ivy Chelimo: Law Graduate Behind Gachagua's Riggy G Nickname

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua became famously known as 'Riggy G', a nickname that went viral during the inauguration ceremony of President William Ruto on Tuesday, September 13.

Gachagua established himself as former President Uhuru Kenyatta's successor in the production of funny jokes, comments and videos by Kenyans surrounding him, among a whole collection that many would believe keeps the country happy in the midst of many trials and tribulations.

Dubbed the new 'King of Memes', Gachagua replaced nicknames such as 'Jayden' or 'Uhunye' as Riggy G gained momentum during and after the ceremony. However, Viral Tea established that the nickname was coined during the 2022 deputy presidential debate.

Meet Ivy Chelimo, a lifestyle influencer, content creator and law graduate from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Her post on Twitter at that time read "Riggy G amekataa kutaja freedom (Riggy G has refused to mention Uhuru)" which was made to mean that Gachagua refused to mention Uhuru during the debate.

It began gaining traction as the days went by but became mainstream during Gachagua's hard-hitting inaugural speech at Uhuru's administration for leaving the economy dilapidated. Kenyans On Twitter (KOT) started using the 'Riggy G' nickname and the origin, being Chelimo, was identified, turning her into an online celebrity overnight.

Speaking during an interview on NTV's The Trend on Friday, September 16, Chelimo, now dubbed the 'shawry of nicknames' after being identified as the genius behind Gachagua's nickname, revealed that she decided to post about the nickname at that time out of bravery as the mere mention of a politician brings huge traffic on anyone's social media accounts.

It was not until the swearing-in ceremony that she was called to be informed that she was trending on the microblogging platform alongside Gachagua.

“You know actually you can’t mention a politician because you don’t want that traction on your page. So I was like let me make it because he was winning the debate anyway.

"I was like I am not going to mention his name or anyone’s name and then forgot about it. Then three days ago (on September 13) my best friend texts me and she's like 'you're trending on Twitter' I'm like 'what do you mean you're trending on Twitter?' because it was crazy, it was really overwhelming,” Chelimo said.

Chelimo explained that a Twitter user lauded the mastermind behind the nickname before a local media platform exposed her with her username, thus becoming a trend.

She further explained that she is an ardent follower of politics and regarding her political ambitions, she aspires to vie for either a Member of the County Assembly (MCA) or a Senator in the 2027 general elections.

"I follow politics a lot, I actually really like politics. At one point I really wanted to venture into politics but not now, like in 2027. I want to vie for either MCA or Senator in Nandi County," she said, adding that she was ready to test herself in an atmosphere that has proved challenging especially for women.

Chelimo said that her role model is Gladys Shollei, who is currently the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, adding that her eloquence, confidence in what she does, education and not being everywhere in scandals is what stand out for her.

She gave her sentiments on Gachagua slipping nervously in the crucial moment in front of Chief Registrar of Judiciary Ann Amadi, who cut him short and asked him to repeat the oath, opining that he was nervous because of the battles he had to endure for many years to ascend to the country's second-in-command.

On his speech: "It was very controversial to say the least. He addressed some very pressing issues that we actually have like the country's debt but I don't think that was something we needed to put out there for our dignitaries. It was like airing our dirty laundry but it happened."

Ivy Chelimo posing for a photo. /INSTAGRAM.IVY CHELIMO

Ivy Chelimo Profile

In a previous interview, Chelimo revealed that the publicity brought good tidings for the law graduate who plans on starting the advocates’ training programme in January. She has already been approached by different companies looking to work with her and has secured a marketing deal.

She was born in Eldoret and moved to Nairobi for her school. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she developed an idea to venture into content creation, considered one of the most lucrative hustles in recent times.

Chelimo recently completed her undergraduate degree and revealed how juggling school and creating content proved to be a tall order.

“I love restaurants and travelling but had to remain indoors during the lockdown so I started documenting my daily activities. I developed a liking for taking pictures and the rest is history," she said.

“It was quite a hustle but my passion is my drive. I enjoy both law and creating lifestyle content but if I get an opportunity in the latter I would be willing to fully venture into it.” 

She urged DP Gachagua to keep his promises in the new administration, noting that the whole country was looking up to him. Specifically, she urged him to address the high rates of unemployment among the Kenyan youth.

Watch the interview: