In a week dominated by major political events, with huge ramifications for the region and continent, I had no idea that Prezzo Bill Ruto had the time to retreat to a studio to turn his roadside declaration-about a massive road in North Eastern region-into an online musical sensation.
That was until Prezzo Ruto drew my attention to it, apparently because he was very upset that young Kenyans had appropriated his voice in such a cynical manner.
His solemn speech, chanting the various locations that the road would course through had been turned into a syncopated rap. "Ndio barabara itoke Mandera iende Rhamu, iende Gari, iende Elwak, iende Kobo, iende Kotulo, iende Tarbach, iende Wajir, iende Samatar (later Samatach), iende Modogashe, iende Isiolo, iende Nairobi…" And I said to myself: how does he know so many backroads in the backwaters (more appropriately, deserts) of our land?
What hurt Prezzo Ruto deeply, he revealed, was that his solemn promise had been turned into something like an online joke. "Many people," he started, pursed his lips to resist the temptation to bite into them. "Think or assume it is a joke." I would have laughed at that- the idea of Prezzo Ruto taking himself too seriously, or expecting Kenyans to take him seriously-were it not for the thinning of his hair that shows he's not taking too kindly this idea of Kenyans laughing him off at every turn.
