President William Ruto reiterated his stance on taxation during the Labour Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi on Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
Ruto emphasized that he remains undeterred by the nickname ‘Zakayo the tax collector’ if it means Kenyans fulfil their tax obligations.
The head of State underscored the importance of domestic revenue generation in nation-building, asserting that Kenya’s development cannot solely rely on foreign assistance or loans.
He emphasized the collective responsibility of Kenyans to contribute to the country’s progress through taxation.
Addressing the attendees, Ruto urged all Kenyan workers to recognize their role in the nation’s development, emphasizing that the resources needed to build Kenya come from within the country itself.
“Nataka niwaulize wafanyakazi wote sisi Wakenya, tujue yakwamba nchi hii haiwezi kujengwa kimuijiza, haiwezi kujengwa na watu wengine, wenye kujenga Kenya ni sisi. Nguvu yetu, akili tulio nayo, mipango tulio nayo na pesa zetu. Na hio pesa inatoka kwa ushuru,” Ruto said.
Regarding the nickname ‘Zakayo’, Ruto remained unperturbed, asserting that as long as taxes are paid, the moniker holds no significance.
He emphasized the importance of advancing Kenya’s development agenda, including providing housing, universal health coverage, and employment opportunities for the youth.
“Kuitwa Zakayo si jambo bora tulipe ushuru. Zakayo ni jina hakuna problem tunaweza kusonga mbele. Bora tujenge Kenya hii, watu wapate manyumba, tuwe na universal health coverage, watoto, vijana wetu wapate ajira. Zakayo ni jina, tuendelee mbele no problem,” Ruto said.
Furthermore, Ruto urged Kenyans to confront the reality that the country’s own resources are crucial for its transformation, emphasizing the need to rely on domestic efforts and resources rather than external aid.
“Kwa sababu tutakua tunajidanganya, na tumejidanganya muda mrefu ya kwamba nchi inaweza kujengwa na madeni kutoka nchi zingine, it is not possible and I have to be brutally honest to my fellow citizens.
“We must face up to the reality, we must build our country with our energy, with our knowledge, with our talent, with our efforts, with our plan and with our taxes. That is how we are going to build this country,” Ruto said.
The Zakayo moniker
It is not the first time that President William Ruto has publicly addressed his Zakayo nickname.
Ruto while addressing the Kenyan diaspora in Tokyo, Japan on February 7, 2024, embraced his moniker ‘Zakayo’.
The President said despite being called various names back home he would stand by his firm decisions to put the country on the right path.
“I don’t mind people calling me names. I will continue to do the right thing for our country irrespective of the names people call me including Zakayo,” Ruto said.
Kenyans christened Ruto ‘Zakayo’ in May 2023 in the wake of hefty tax proposals made by his government.
Ruto was likened to the biblical tax collector Zacchaeus (Zakayo in Swahili) who climbed the sycamore tree to see Jesus.
“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way,” Luke 19:1-4 (NIV).
