Kikuyus on social media have embraced the sentiments made by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, who labelled them hyenas after the government side lost the just-concluded Ol Kalou by-election.
Speaking at a function in Northern Kenya, Duale, who is a close confidante of President William Ruto, termed Kikuyus “hyenas” for accepting government bribes of mattresses, gas cylinders, and cash, yet they refused to vote for the United Democratic Alliance candidate, Sammy Muchina. In fact, after receiving government bribes estimated at Sh15 billion, the Ol Kalou electorate voted for the Democracy for Citizens Party candidate Samuel Kamau Ngotho. The whitewashing of the government side by the opposition has opened a tribal war sponsored by the government and State House.
Duale, in his remarks, termed Kikuyus as hyenas and said they should never be allowed anywhere near power. But the Kikuyu community, which forms the biggest voting bloc in the country, has accepted the label, using the hashtag #Hyenas, and vowed to teach President William Ruto and his attack dog, Duale, a tough lesson during the August 10, 2027 presidential election.
Here are some comments from Kikuyus on X.
E.M. Kariuki wrote, “Hyenas are resilient, intelligent, highly organized, and capable of surviving the toughest conditions. They are widely misunderstood as mere scavengers, yet they hunt and kill the majority of their own food, with up to 80% of their diet coming from their own successful hunts. Sometimes, perception is far removed from reality.”
Kirugi wrote, “Even the king of the jungle, the lion, is intimidated by a pack of hyenas. Hyenas can be ugly and have a limp, but in their numbers they are lethal.”
Joseph Chege wrote, “Duale is just a messenger. You all know the person sending him to call you people of Mt Kenya hyenas. Na nyinyi watu wa NE mtafute a mature leader.”
Mr Mwaniki wrote a particularly defiant message. “Duale called us Murima people hyenas. Fine. Then treat us like the hyenas we are. A hyena doesn’t ask the lion for permission before it moves in on the kill. It doesn’t wait for the pride to like it. When the lion grows fat, arrogant, and careless, the hyenas simply close in, strip the carcass, and leave the bones behind. That’s exactly what we will do to UDA. You can roar, you can insult, you can threaten; it changes nothing. The hyenas have already decided. We will vote you out, whether you like it or not.”
The embrace of the hyena label by the Kikuyu community is a remarkable political development. Rather than being offended, they have chosen to reclaim the insult and turn it into a badge of honour. The message from the comments is clear: the hyenas are coming for the lion, and they are not afraid.
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