William Ruto Embraces His Nickname Zakayo, Urges Kenyans to Pay Taxes

 Kenyans have humorously nicknamed President William Ruto "Zakayo" because of his plans to introduce new tax measures.

The president is pushing for tax reforms, wanting people to pay more for the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and a new Housing Levy to help with affordable housing. Some people started calling him "Zakayo" because he's like Zacchaeus, a tax collector from the Bible.

Surprisingly, President Ruto didn't mind the nickname. He talked about it during his speech on Labour Day, which was on May 1 at Uhuru Gardens. He said being called "Zakayo" is okay as long as people pay taxes to build the country.

"Fellow Kenyans, our country’s development won’t come about through miracles or external help; it's up to us to forge our path. Our collective efforts, intellect, and taxes are crucial. Being called Zakayo is not an issue. The issue is we must pay taxes. Zakayo is just a name. It has no problem. Provided we are building this nation.

"As long as we have healthcare for everyone and jobs for young people, being called Zakayo is fine. Let's keep moving forward and building our country," he said.