Why Kenyans Are Calling Ruto ‘El Chapo’
Joel Arnold
Mar 13, 2025
President William Ruto
Lately, social media in Kenya has been buzzing with a new nickname for President William Ruto, "El Chapo." But how did he get this name, and why are Kenyans so amused?
It all started when Ruto visited St. Teresa Girls Secondary School in Mathare and promised to buy a chapati-making machine that could produce one million chapatis per day. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja had first brought up the idea, saying students wanted chapati added to their school meals under the Dishi na County program. Ruto agreed on the spot, telling Sakaja to go find the machine.
While the students cheered, Kenyans online were less impressed. Many felt that with the country struggling with high living costs, unemployment, and healthcare issues, making a million chapatis daily shouldn’t be a government priority. Instead of celebrating, Kenyans did what they do best and turned the situation into humor.
How the Internet Took Over
Kenyans quickly started making memes, AI-generated images, and jokes about the “one-million chapati machine.” Some of the funniest ones included:
Athletes grabbing chapatis instead of water during a marathon.
Parliament covered in chapatis as MPs enjoyed a ‘Chapo buffet.’
Students being ‘taught’ while eating chapati in class.
Maasai warriors holding giant chapatis instead of shields.
Others did the math, calculating how much flour, oil, and power would be needed. The estimated cost? At least Ksh. 10 million daily, or Ksh. 2.5 billion per year, which could have been used for hospitals, roads, or other pressing issues.
Why ‘El Chapo’?
The nickname El Chapo comes from the Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. But in Kenya, it’s just a play on words because ‘chapati’ is often called Chapo in street slang. So, when Ruto promised a chapati-making machine, Kenyans naturally gave him the ‘El Chapo’ tag.
The President, however, doesn’t seem too bothered. Speaking in Dagoretti, he laughed about it, saying Kenyans have given him so many nicknames, Hustler, Survivor, Zakayo, Kasongo and now El Chapo. He even joked, asking if they were planning to add more.
