Watch Ruto Embrace 'Zakayo' As His New Nickname [VIDEO]

Ruto acknowledged the new nickname while filing his returns at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) offices at Time Towers.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
May 26, 2023 - 10:18 Updated: May 26, 2023 - 11:12
0
Watch Ruto Embrace 'Zakayo' As His New Nickname [VIDEO]
President William Ruto speaking at the KRA offices in Nairobi on May 26, 2023. /PCS

President William Ruto on Friday, May 26 embraced his new nickname 'Zakayo', which was a product of Kenyans On Twitter (KOT) amidst the uproar regarding the increase of taxes.

Ruto acknowledged the new nickname while filing his returns at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) offices at Time Towers.

He was responding to a suggestion by one of the delegates that the government should create a tax collectors' day, similar to that of taxpayers' day.

Watch the video below:

"We usually have the taxpayers' day in October. My suggestion is that we also have a tax collectors' day. Probably at State House?" the delegates suggested.

"Since I have already been referred to as Zakayo in some areas, maybe we will have a tax collector day. That's a good proposal," Ruto responded, leaving the crowd in attendance in stitches.

The name Zakayo is a Swahili word for 'Zacchaeus', the shrewd Biblical Tax collector who pledged to give back four times the amount he had overcharged taxpayers.

The tax collector from the city of Jericho was hated by the Jews because they felt he was keeping their money for himself.

Online users likened the President to Zacchaeus, who climbed the sycamore tree to see Jesus.

The name went viral following the Finance Bill 2023 being subjected to public participation by Kenyan taxpayers, despite an uproar ensuing regarding some of its proposals.

"If they target Baba (Raila Odinga), they should be ready to terminate us all. We will not relent until Zakayo climbs down and the price of unga is lowered," Azimio La Umoja co-principal and Narc Kenya party leader, Martha Karua stated during a protest rally in Nairobi in March 2023. 

"Even Zacchaeus did not tax exorbitantly. Leave Mama Ngina Kenyatta and his son President (Rtd) Uhuru Kenyatta, alone," Azimio La Umoja party leader, Raila Odinga, added. 

Ruto was at Time Towers to file his annual returns ahead of the June 2023 timeline. At the event, he asked KRA to inspire confidence in Kenyans to pay their taxes, adding that the authority must make their tax system simple, transparent and fair to collect more.

The Head of State regretted that KRA has been sluggish in facilitating Kenyans to honour their obligations, adding that KRA has also failed to deploy better technologies to boost revenues.

President William Ruto, DP Rigathi Gachagua at Times Tower in Nairobi on May 26, 2023. /PCS

Tags: