Embakasi East Member of Parliament (MP) Babu Owino has fired shots at President William Ruto, accusing him of failing to deliver on promises made to the Kenyan people.

Speaking in Kitui County on Saturday, February 10, while Referring to Ruto as Zakayo, Babu Owino lamented the unfulfilled pledges noting that the country was doing okay until he became president.

“Wakati wewe ulikua waziri wa foreign affairs, mambo yalikua sawa. shetani sasa ameingilia, wakati wewe ulikua naibu wa raisi, baba akiwa waziri mkuu, maisha yalikua mazuri, uchumi ulikua sawa,” Babu Owino reminisced.

Loosely translated to;

“When you were the Minister of Foreign Affairs, things were fine. The devil has now interfered, when you were the Deputy President, with your father as the Prime Minister, life was good, and the economy was stable.”

However, the MP expressed frustration over the current state of affairs, accusing President Ruto of neglecting his duties to address pressing issues such as the high cost of living.

“Tuliambiwa ya kwamba mama mboga ataacha kuuza mboga afungue supermarket, tukaambiwa bwana boda boda atawacha kuendesha bodaboda anunue gari,” he said.

Loosely translated as;

“We were told that mama mboga will stop selling vegetables to open a supermarket, and we were told that boda boda men will buy cars.”

Adding;

“Kila saa tunaambia Zakayo azushe bei ya chakula, Zakayo anakataa, tunaambia Zakayo azushe gharama ya maisha, Zakayo anakataa, kisha tukaambia Zakayo yeye mwenyewe ashuke, Zakayo aamekataa.”

Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, Babu Owino issued a stern warning to Ruto.

“Kwa hivyo 2027 hatutambia Zakayo ashuke, tutakata mti Zakayo aanguke,” Babu warned.

‘Zakayo’ or ‘Vasco Danganya’?

The name Zakayo surfaced on social platforms in May 2023 over his tax drives aimed at collecting more taxes from Kenyans.

The Head of State addressed his given name noting that he didn’t mind it.

Ruto was responding to KRA staff members who asked for a tax collectors’ day to be held at the State House.

“Since I have already been referred to as Zakayo in some areas, maybe we will have a tax collectors day, that’s a good proposal and I will consider it,” Ruto said.

Zakayo, the Swahili version of Zacchaeus, is a Biblical character who was a chief tax collector living in Jericho during the reign of the Roman Empire as the world’s superpower.

According to the Biblical story, after meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus promised to give half of his wealth to the poor and return four times any possession he had acquired illegally.

“Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount,” the Bible quotes him according to the New International Version in Luke 19:8.

He was unpopular with the people and when Jesus visited him, the Jews accused him (Jesus) of dining with a “sinner”.

The Head of State recently acquired another nickname, Vasco Danganya, which he has yet to comment on.

Netizens came up with the new name after they accused the president of failing to fulfil the pledges he made to them during the elections.