File image of President William Ruto
President William Ruto has broken silence over the ‘zakayo’ moniker that was imposed on him by Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance leaders and a section of Kenyans online.
Speaking on Friday May 26 while having a session with Kenya Revenue Authority officials, Ruto embraced the nickname which has been making rounds on social media.
The Head of State noted that in honor of the moniker given to him, he is contemplating having a Tax Collector’s Day event at State House.
“Since I have already been referred to as Zakayo in some areas, maybe we will have a tax collector day. That’s a good proposal,” Ruto said.
The President was responding to a suggestion by a KRA staff who requested the President to host a tax collection day at the State House.
“We usually have the taxpayers’ day in October. My suggestion is that we also have a tax collectors’ day. Probably at State House?” the staff posed.
President Ruto has been at the forefront of urging Kenyans to pay their taxes so that the government may fulfill its promises.
The moniker Zakayo emerged in the aftermath of the Ruto-led administration’s new tax proposals in the 2023 Finance Bill.
Kenyans compared President Ruto to Zacchaeus, who, according to the Bible, climbed the sycamore tree to see Jesus.
Zacchaeus was a tax collector in the city of Jericho in the Bible, notably the New Testament. The Jews despised him because they believed he was stealing their money.
Narc Kenya Party Leader Martha Karua on Monday during the Jubilee Party NDC at the Ngong Racecourse used the nickname while referring to the President.
“If they target Baba, they should be ready to terminate us all. We will not relent until Zakayo climbs down and the price of unga is lowered,” she said.
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