The recently elected deputy president of Kenya, Rigathi Gachagua, has adopted a moniker that young Kenyans gave him.
During the July Deputy President debate on Twitter, the handle “Riggy G” became an instant sensation and weeks later went viral.
The Vice President has since acknowledged the nickname given to him.
“Riggy G is melodious,” The Deputy President made this statement while pleading with teachers all around the nation to nurture young people’s skills.
“I amazed that our creative young people have given me a nickname… they have looked at my two names Rigathi Gachagua, looked for something sounding easier, more melodious and called me Riggy G, and I don’t think it’s a bad name,” the DP said during the finals of the 94th Kenya Music Festival at Kisumu Girls High School, Kisumu County on Friday.
Ivy Chelimo, a graduate of the Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA), came up with the name for the position that has since become well-known among Kenyans. In an interview with NTV’s The Trend, she explained how she came up with the name for the position.
She claimed that after someone checked to see who tweeted the moniker “Riggy G” first, she discovered herself trending at the inauguration of President William Ruto and his deputy at Moi International Sports Center, Kasarani.
Chelimo said she was the first to tweet the name during the deputy presidential debate on July.
“It happened in the spur of the moment. I had not thought much about the nickname but started seeing people mentioning it, so I thought someone else had coined it before me,” she stated.
“You know how you can’t actually mention a politician just because sometimes you don’t want that traction on your page? That was me then but I was like let me just mention him because he was winning the debate anyway,” she said.
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