Why Kenyans Are Excited About Christina Shusho's Upcoming Song 'Zakayo' [VIDEO]

Known for her soulful melodies and impactful lyrics, Shusho caught the attention of the Kenyan music community with this eagerly anticipated release.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Apr 22, 2024 - 14:51
0
Why Kenyans Are Excited About Christina Shusho's Upcoming Song 'Zakayo' [VIDEO]
Gospel singer Christina Shusho. /CHRISTINA SHUSHO

Fresh from her centre-of-attention performance on December 31, 2023, in Kenya at Garden City, Nairobi, Tanzanian gospel artiste Christina Shusho is once again a huge topic of discussion on social media.

On Monday, April 22, she shared a snippet of her upcoming project in the form of a track titled 'Zakayo' which went viral on X, amassing more than 1,500 reposts, 3,500 likes and viewed more than 187,400 times, a term that bears huge significance across the board.

Known for her soulful melodies and impactful lyrics, Shusho caught the attention of the Kenyan music community with this eagerly anticipated release.

The name Zakayo is a Swahili word for 'Zacchaeus', the shrewd tax collector in the Bible 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, Zacchaeus' story echoing heavily in Shusho's snippet.

Interestingly, the name Zakayo gained mass prominence in Kenya due to President William Ruto's introduction of numerous tax reforms which Kenyans from all walks of life termed 'punitive', thus earning him the nickname amongst citizens.

On May 26, 2023, Ruto acknowledged the new nickname while filing his tax returns at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) offices at Times Tower in Nairobi, in response to a suggestion by one of the delegates that the government should create a tax collectors' day, similar to that of taxpayers' day.

"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 stated, leaving the crowd in attendance in stitches.

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

The name went viral following the Finance Act 2023 which was, before its enactment into law, 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. 

Some Kenyan fans have expressed anticipation for the project, which could come alongside Shusha Nyavu, a banger that blew up in the 254 in the weeks that preceded her visit.

Kenyans on social media have shown a mixture of anticipation and curiosity, with many eager to see how she will interpret and weave the biblical story of Zacchaeus into her music.

On X and other platforms, some fans have expressed their enthusiasm with comments predicting that the new song will be another hit.

Screengrabs of Christina Shusho's body-hugging dress at her concert on December 31, 2023. /TUKO.CO.KE

Tags: