Friday, August 29, 2025 - President William Ruto’s remarks during his recent trip to Japan have sparked a backlash from media personality, Ciru Muriuki, who accused him of gaslighting Kenyans with what she termed as a tone-deaf reflection.
In a statement shared online, Ruto praised Japan’s vision,
discipline, and prosperity, saying he was impressed by the country’s order and
infrastructure.
He then posed a question to Kenyans:
“Every time I travel abroad, as I recently did to Japan, I
am struck by what vision, discipline and high ambition can achieve.”
“I see their order, infrastructure, prosperity, and I ask,
why not Kenya? Why not us?”
However, Muriuki took issue with the President’s sentiments,
arguing that they ignored the lived realities of ordinary Kenyans.
Responding on her Instagram stories on Friday, August 29,
2025, she said:
“There are levels to gaslighting, and this is a level I have
never experienced… and I have been gaslit by the best gaslighters.”
Muriuki stressed that Ruto’s “Why not Kenya?” remark
overlooked the economic hardships citizens face, including rising taxes, poor
governance, and inefficiency.
“‘Why not Kenya?’ mhm… I am hot,” she added, underscoring
her frustration.
According to her, leadership should inspire hope through
action, not empty comparisons to developed nations.
She said such statements, without addressing mismanagement
and policy failures, felt dismissive and even insulting.
0 Comments