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Kenyan singer Marakwet Daughter, real name Millicent Jerotich Kipkorir, has boldly refused to honour a summons from the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).
The summon is over her controversial song Arap Ruto, which takes direct aim at President William Ruto’s leadership.
NCIC in a letter summoning Marakwet Daughter claimed it was investigating the lyrics of the hit song, stating they could incite ethnic contempt, hatred, and hostility, which would violate Sections 13(1)(a) and 62 of the National Cohesion and Integration Act.
In an exclusive interview with TNX, the outspoken artist declared that she did not appear before the commission and had no intention of doing so.
“I did not and I will not,” she stated defiantly.
She called out NCIC’s handling of the matter, questioning the fairness of sending her a letter on the same day she was expected to appear, February 5, at 4:25 PM.
“When I asked them why they sent the letter that late, the person I spoke to told me I should have shown up the next day. To make matters worse, they don’t want me to go to their Eldoret office; they insist that I must travel to Nairobi,” she explained.
Marakwet Daughter’s five-minute track, Arap Ruto, has sparked national debate with its sharp critique of the president’s governance.
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The heavily auto-tuned but emotionally charged song, delivered in Kalenjin and Swahili, questions Ruto’s policies and their impact on ordinary Kenyans.
In one of the most striking verses, she asks, “Arap Ruto tulikukosea lini, wapi, na nini? Sema ketaratar ng’alechu.” (Arap Ruto, when, where, and how did we wrong you? Say it so we can make amends.)
The Mali Safi Chito hitmaker goes further, accusing Ruto of abandoning the people.
“Huruma ulizika Sugoi, utu ukazika Kap Jagir.” (You buried mercy in Sugoi, and humanity in Kap Jagir.)
Metaphorically implying that compassion and empathy died when Ruto ascended to power.
The song also criticises the competency-based curriculum (CBC), calling it a failure, and slams Ruto’s higher education funding model, blaming him for destabilizing the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).
In another scathing line, she sings, “HELB ulivuruga, Ruto, na sio mali ya baba yako. Rudisha vile ilikuwa, usiwe adui wa maendeleo.” (Ruto, you ruined HELB, which doesn’t belong to your father. Restore it as it was and stop being an enemy of development.)
Her defiance has drawn strong reactions from politicians, with Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi and Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot condemning NCIC’s actions.
Sudi, in his usual blunt style, took to social media to blast the commission, “NCIC, leave Marakwet Daughter alone! I've got a list of about 50 names that would be a much better use of your time instead of this nonsense. This lady has a chance ya kueleweka, achaneni naye n
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