President William Ruto’s recent remarks on sugar cartels have sparked a lot of reactions on social media, especially on X.
The president, who was touring the Western region to revive the Mumias Sugar Company, warned the cartels that they had three options: to leave the country, to go to jail, or to go to heaven. He said this in Swahili as “Mambo ni matatu, uhame, uende jela, usafiri”.
The president’s words have inspired many Kenyans to create memes, jokes, and hashtags using the phrase “Mambo ni matatu”. One of the most hilarious creations is a cartoon-video by a Twitter user @makau_x, who posted it on September 2, 2023. The video shows a 3D animated character resembling Ruto standing in front of a billboard that reads “MAHUNDI NI NGIRI MATATU” in blue text, with “GOLD SILVER” in red text below.
The character is wearing a brown suit and a yellow tie, and he is holding a phone. He then repeats his warning to the cartels in a funny voice, adding some gestures and facial expressions. The video ends with a laughter track and applause.
The video has gone viral on Twitter, attracting over 16,000 retweets and 197,000 likes as of September 3, 2023. Many netizens have praised the creativity and humour of the video maker, while others have expressed their views on the president’s statement. Some have also suggested that the video should be used as a campaign ad for Ruto in the upcoming 2023 election.
The video is one of the many examples of how Kenyans use social media to express themselves and comment on political issues. It also shows how Ruto’s popularity has grown since he became president in 2022 after defeating his former ally-turned-rival Raila Odinga.
by: ke.studio.opera.com