Following weeks of making vitality on social media, making silhouettes appear as dark images mimicking the likeness of President William Ruto, Kenyans have been wondering about the fate of the person behind the trend.
Equally, many have raised questions on the government’s response to the maker of the silhouettes and whether he/she has contravened any law.
The Principal Secretary for Internal Security Raymond Omollo finally waded into the matter revealing that the government did not intend to take any legal action against the perpetrator.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Wednesday night, December 11, Omollo revealed that the government had no intention to locate and or charge the person behind the cartoons.
Interior Principal Raymond Omolo flanked by senior security officers, delivering a press statement at Harambee House in Nairobi on December 4, 2024.
Ministry of Interior
Instead, the PS revealed that the person was using his creative power but only in a negative way.
According to Omollo, the government would rather help the individual to advance his creativity and probably use it to make a meaningful income.
“The level of creativity of Kenyans is quite amazing and interesting. It demonstrates what is possible with technology. They can even look for ways to monetize it in a manner that is not ridiculing,” Omollo stated.
Omollo was responding to a question raised by one of the viewers of the show who inquired about the fte of the maker.
Kenyans on social media have been, in recent weeks, treated to silhouette humour where the maker creates the art mimicking high-profile leaders in the country.
However, what has particularly been noticeable with the art is the intention of the anonymous maker to try to paint the leaders in a negative way.
The government at some point seemed to have boarded the bandwagon after the head of the Creative Economy in the Office of President, Dennis Itumbi, at some point countered the silhouettes with his own.
In Itumbi’s art, he instead chooses to use silhouettes to amplify the president’s achievements.
The Constitution provides for freedom of speech allowing Kenyans to freely express their opinions on social media. Lately, senior government officials led by Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho have faulted the way the freedoms are applied especially towards criticism of the government.
Principal Secretary, State Department for Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo giving an address during the launch of the Border Security and Control Curriculum at the Kenya School of Government (KSG) Lower Kabete, Nairobi. December 18, 2023.
Photo
Raymond Omollo
