Don't 'place' me in coffins, Ruto warns youth

President William Ruto addresses residents of Cheboror Village in Uasin Gishu County after launching the rural electrification poroject on Jan 10, 2025. [PCS] President William Ruto has slammed youthful Kenyans who have turned social media into the next front of government criticism as he wound up a two-day tour of his North Rift home turf. Of concern to Ruto during the tour is the manipulation of his image and that of other leaders and placing them in coffins. The President has been on a whirlwind development tour of Elgeyo Marakwet and Uasin Gishu since Thursday, amidst sharp criticism by digitally savvy young Kenyans who have taken social media by storm with cartoons and silhouettes. During the final tour in Uasin Gishu today, Ruto and his close allies described the social criticism as a serious erosion of morals in Kenyan society. He appeared to fight back against what he termed as harsh criticism by youth and blamed the trend on political leaders who he claimed were sponsoring young people for selfish political gains. Among youth criticising the Head of State online are those from Rift Valley counties that voted him to the last man. The President used his development to ask them to stop the use of images placed in caskets to criticize him, but instead use digital creativity to earn income. "I want to ask those who are using digital spaces to criticise the government not to be used by selfish politicians to put images of leaders in graves and coffins," the President said during the official opening of Ngeria Technical Training Institute in Kapseret. Ruto expressed fears that the youths placing images of leaders might soon turn out to be a security threat. "I want to tell them that today, they will place images of leaders in coffins, and tomorrow they put their parents and then they follow it with their friends and eventually they resort to actual killings," said Ruto in his home county. He went on to say: "I want to ask those who are encouraging young people to continue this trend where they put people in coffins that let us be careful so that we don't build a generation that is going to self-destruct." A number of the youths believed to be driving the anti-government campaigns online were allegedly abducted by unknown people in December and recently released. Others are said to be still missing. The President has been baptised several names including Zakayo and Kasongo by youth who question his style of leadership. Ruto told the youthful critics to join at least 120,000 young Kenyans who are making money through digital jobs. He said instead of using the internet to create images of people in coffins, the youth should use it to establish jobs to earn money and make life better. "Let us tell our youth that good morals and character pay," he said. National Assembly majority leader Kimani Inchung'wah said the internet criticism was bankrolled by a politician. The Kikuyu MP said the online attacks were mere insults. "Making a lot of political noise online to get paid by politicians will not change your life," Inchung'wah said. Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot also criticized unnamed politicians for sponsoring the barrage of anti-government campaigns on social media. "I thank you (the youth) because you don't use the internet to get money from politicians to ridicule others," the Senate majority leader said. Ruto, who was accompanied by a host of MPs launched water projects in Kesses and Kapseret before opening Ngeria TTI and Turbo sub-county offices. A massive Gen Z-led anti-Finance Bill protests shook the President's hometown on June 20, 2024, and the President was seen as losing grip of his turf. The multitude of youthful protestors razed a magistrate's court, a public library, and the business premises of Timba XO, a club owned by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, a lawmaker close to President Ruto. The protests reinforced perceptions that the Head of State was losing popularity at home.

Don't 'place' me in coffins, Ruto warns youth

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Don't 'place' me in coffins, Ruto warns youth

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