A video of a Kenyan lady doing a rendition of a popular Christian hymn, How Great Thou Art while begging former President Uhuru Kenyatta, went viral on Thursday, May 18.
In the video, which was first published on Tiktok, attracting over 30,000 views, 2,800 comments and over 3,000 shares, the lady lamented over President William Ruto's policies.
In her rendition, the content creator implored Uhuru to ask Opposition Leader Raila Odinga to hold President Ruto's government to account for the high cost of living.
"Uhuru Kenyatta where are you? Come and witness how we are suffering. Ruto, Musalia and Gachagua are taking Kenya as their personal property," she sang with an intonation similar to that of the popular Christian hymn.
"Uhuru, just inform Raila to defend the citizens," she sang with a teary face.
The How Great Thou Art song says
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds thy hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Watch the Video
Her rendition was shared widely with a section of Kenyans venting their frustrations over the high of living. Others shared another video of traders advising President Ruto to intervene after fuel prices hit a record high.
The costs of sugar, maize flour and other basic commodities were listed by the aggrieved Kenyans asking Uhuru to pressure Raila to execute his opposition role.
Matatu operators were the first to respond, announcing fare hikes, especially for long-distance public service vehicles (PSVs).
"For instance, if during peak hours the fare is Ksh100 and off-peak hours it is Ksh50. The prices will now remain constant at Ksh100 throughout the entire day," Branden Marshall, an official of the Association of Matatu Operators (AMO), stated.
Ruto Allies Closing Ranks to Defend Uhuru
The concerns came after a section of Ruto's allies closed ranks and started defending Uhuru. Murang'a Woman Representative Betty Maina made headlines for defending the former Head of State.
She scolded a section of Mt Kenya lawmakers, accusing them of disrespecting the former President.
"We cannot continue like this…He has his place in our history and society. There are those good deeds he did for us during his tenure, and we must show him respect," Maina stated.
Besides closing ranks to defend Uhuru, some legislators opposed Ruto's directives, including the push to impose a housing levy on all Kenyans in formal employment.
Responding to their claims, Ruto dispelled reports that the housing levy was a tax. At the same time, he warned his allies against turning their backs on him, insisting that he spelt out his manifesto during the campaign, including the affordable housing plan.
"The leaders with me during campaigns heard me saying there was a housing plan. Why would they turn their backs now?
"We went everywhere during campaigns and told Kenyans that there was a housing plan that would give people opportunities for employment and allow them to own homes," Ruto stated.
