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President William Ruto on Friday, January 3, 2025, embraced the song ‘Kasongo,’ which had widely been used to criticise some of his policies and statements.

Speaking in Bungoma County during the burial ceremony of Speaker Moses Wetang’ula’s mother, the Head of State noted that ‘Kasongo’ was not a bad song and thus encouraged those castigating him using it to continue.

Kenyans have been the trending sound of a man singing the old-school song by Orchestra Super Mazembe to call out the Head of State as others went ahead to nickname him Kasongo.

However, Ruto boldly told them off, indicating that he had taken offence at being branded Kasongo.

The Head of State further accepted Zakayo which had widely been used to refer to him. Ruto noted he did not mind being called Zakayo since he was collecting taxes to help accelerate meaningful development in the country.

Moreover, he referenced Zacchaeus’ story from the Bible, insisting that Jesus visited him despite being considered a tax collector.

Ruto made the sentiments while reprimanding a section of social media users who he maintained did not want him to explain his development agenda.

He lamented that some of those branding him using all the monikers wanted to paint him in a bad light and overshadow his track record.

“Kuna watu wengine wako uko kwa mitandao hawataki sana tuseme haya mambo kwa sababu wanataka kusema hakuna kazi inaendelea Kenya… ni fitina tu, ooh Kasongo… ooh Zakayo. (There are some social media users who do not want us to explain some of these things because they want to say that nothing is going on in the country… they are spreading rumours…oooh Kasongo… ooh Zakayo)

“Hio Kasongo ni sawa; ni wimbo mzuri ambayo ilikuwa inaendelea, so hio Kasongo tuendelee nayo. Ile ya Zakayo pia si mbaya kwa sababu kusanya ushuru wa kupeleka Kenya mbele hio ni sawa na kwanza Zakayo ndiye Mungu alimtembelea. Sasa wewe hujakuwa Zakayo, utatembelewa na Mungu namna gani? (This Kasongo is a good song, so let us continue with it. Zakayo is also not bad because collecting tax to move our country forward is the right thing to do, and Jesus visited Zacchaeus; since you are not Zacchaeus, how can he visit you?” Ruto said before bursting into laughter.

Dancing to Kasongo

His sentiments come days after he was recorded dancing to the viral Kasongo song days ago.

Joining the President in the dance were First Lady Rachel Ruto, Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, Government Spokesman Isaac Mwaura, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, South Migirano MP Silvanus Osoro, and leaders from the Nyanza region.

He was received by cheers from a handful of guests who attended the end-of-year event in Kisii.

The now viral song was composed when Super Orchestra Mazembe band members went to visit their friend Kasongo in Eastleigh, Nairobi.

On reaching his house, they met Kasongo’s wife, and they asked her if he was home. Kasongo’s wife, however, told them that she had not seen him for days.

Since there were no other means to reach him, they decided to compose the song with the hope of finding him.