Kabogo’s short trousers spark online storm as Kenyans doubt his digital prowess.

William Kabogo has officially become Kenya’s latest trending topic, but not for launching a groundbreaking tech innovation. The 64-year-old former Kiambu governor is currently the butt of jokes on X (formerly Twitter), and it all started when he took the reins as the country’s new Cabinet Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy.

When Kabogo was announced as the surprise appointee to replace Margaret Nyambura (who had replaced Eliud Owalo barely a year prior), eyebrows were raised. After all, the ICT docket is no joke. It’s a whirlwind of tech jargon, rapid innovation, and cyber battles, not exactly the kind of terrain many would expect a veteran politician with old-school swagger to thrive in.

During his vetting, Kabogo made a case for himself. He talked about his glory days in Kiambu, where he digitized revenue collection and health services, allegedly boosting county revenue from Ksh 800 million to a staggering Ksh 2.7 billion in just over a year. He vowed to protect Kenyans working in the digital gig economy, promising new laws to tame foreign tech giants who exploit local talent.

But Kenyans on social media weren’t buying it.

Memes flew like confetti. Kabogo’s infamous photo rocking a comically short brown trouser and a red tie became meme material.

Users joked about him confusing “Java,” the programming language, with the café on Waiyaki Way.

Others asked if he thought “cache” was something to withdraw from an ATM.

Yet, while the internet roasted him over everything from his fashion sense to his supposed tech illiteracy, Kabogo wasn’t rattled. He joined in the fun, tweeting, “I’m enjoying it. If no one makes such, you need to be very worried.”

By Yockshard Enyendi