“El Chapo”: The President who tickles the nation

President William Ruto during a past function. PHOTO/FILE

By PATRICK MAYOYO

newshub@eyewitness.africa

President William Ruto’s promise to purchase a chapati-making machine capable of producing one million chapatis for Nairobi County’s school feeding initiative has earned him a new nickname: “El Chapo”.

Once again, the President managed to tickle the nation with his latest promise – a chapati-making machine that could produce an astonishing one million of these delightful flatbreads every day.

The truth is there is no chapati making machine has been invented anywhere in the world.

This has resulted in him being playfully dubbed “El Chapo”. The moniker is a cheeky play to the name of infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, but it also incorporates the Swahili term “chapo”, which affectionately refers to these tasty pancakes. 

President Ruto made the announcement at St. Teresa Girls Secondary School in Mathare, following his development tour of Nairobi, after Governor Johnson Sakaja requested assistance in purchasing the machine.

Sakaja explained that the machine would be used to make chapatis, which the County plans to introduce as part of its “Dishi Na County” school feeding programme.

An AI generated chapati making machine. PHOTO/UGC.

The Governor, ever the showman, requested the President’s help in acquiring this extraordinary machine to enhance the “Dishi Na County” initiative.

Apparently, the students had developed a fondness for chapatis – and who could blame them? These golden discs of joy are the perfect accompaniment to any meal.

With a flourish, President Ruto agreed to the request, leaving Governor Sakaja to embark on a mission to find this marvel of culinary engineering. “I have agreed to buy a chapati-making machine,” he declared to the cheering students. “Governor, your job now is to find where to buy it.” And thus, the great chapati hunt began. 

However, not everyone was amused by this grand promise. Social media exploded with memes and jests, as Kenyans poked fun at the idea of a machine capable of producing such a staggering number of chapatis.

Some even composed songs about the chapati-making machine, while others questioned the very existence of such a device. After all, chefs skilled in the art of chapati-making argue that no such machine exists anywhere in the world.

As a result, President Ruto joins the ranks of the nickname elite, with *El Chapo* being his fourth moniker since assuming office. He has previously been dubbed “Zakayo” or Zacchaeus by Generation Z.

This reference harks back to the biblical figure who was a wealthy tax collector in Jericho, forced to climb a sycamore tree to see Jesus. After their encounter, Zacchaeus publicly declared his intention to give half of his possessions to the poor and repay anyone he had wronged fourfold. 

An AI generated chapati making machine. PHOTO/UGC.

Then there was “Kasongo”, a title inspired by a hit song by Super Mazembe, in which the band members sing about a friend who went missing, leaving behind his pregnant wife, who implored him to return home.

And, of course, who could forget “Kaongo”, or “The Liar,” a nickname given to him by the same Generation Z, who have grown increasingly skeptical of his promises.

In a country where nicknames are a badge of honour, President Ruto has certainly earned his fair share. And when he speaks, the nation holds its breath, not in anticipation of profound wisdom, but in expectation of another light-hearted quip that will have everyone in stitches. 

In the world of Kenyan politics, it seems that laughter is the best medicine, and President Ruto is the chief pharmacist.

In this country, nicknames are far more than playful jabs—they represent both affection and irony in equal measure. President Ruto, ever the master of national amusement, has certainly earned his place in this esteemed (and ever-growing) hall of fame.

With every speech, the nation waits, not in reverence for groundbreaking policy or world-changing wisdom, but in gleeful anticipation of the next comedic gem that will have us gasping for air between fits of laughter. 

In the realm of local politics, it seems that laughter is the only truly “life-saving” medicine. And who better to play the role of chief pharmacist than our very own President, El Chapo, the man who tickles the nation with the promise of a chapati utopia, one million at a time.