In a uniquely Kenyan brand of digital resistance, citizens have flooded social media platforms with biting satire, AI-generated memes, videos, and humorous content to protest President William Ruto’s controversial directive to police officers to shoot violent protesters in the leg.
What began as outrage quickly evolved into a viral movement online. Platforms like TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook have become battlegrounds of creative dissent, with hashtags such as #OneLeggeMovement and #Wheeliam trending for days.
The President’s remarks—urging police not to kill protesters but instead to shoot them in the legs to disable them—sparked both condemnation and ridicule.
“Mtu kama huyo apigwe risasi aende hospitali akienda kortini,” the President was quoted as saying, referring to violent demonstrators.
The comment ignited a wave of memes, AI-generated images of protesters limping or hopping on crutches, and parodies depicting a fictional election day with citizens arriving on one leg to cast their votes. In a now-viral TikTok challenge dubbed #RisasiYaMguu, users dramatized the effects of the directive—some with humor, others with sharp criticism.
Prominent figures joined in the digital protest. Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, posting an image of injured protesters, criticized the President’s stance, writing:
“You have even gone further to add insult to injury by directing them to shoot innocent Kenyans on the legs.”
One of the most shared visuals was an image of the late President Mwai Kibaki in a wheelchair, referencing the time he took office in 2002 while recovering from a car accident. His image was adopted as a symbol of irony under the #OneLeggeMovement, drawing comparisons between dignity in leadership and the current administration’s approach to dissent.
Even comedians and influencers joined the fray, releasing videos of mock injuries, dances to the beat of “Kasongo,” and voiceovers mimicking the President’s now-famous line.
“Usinipige risasi ya mguu”—a parody chorus now echoes across Kenyan TikTok in videos with millions of views.
This is not the first time Kenyans have used humor to challenge power. President Ruto’s previous policies, including contentious tax proposals, have earned him nicknames like Zakayo, Kasongo, and even El Chapo, monikers he once acknowledged in jest during a public event.
“Majina imenizidi buana… Mkanianza na Hustler, mkafika El Chapo,” he remarked earlier this year.
