On TikTok, one skit shows young men tying pillows around their legs before protests while another parodies a "Protester Leg Protection Plan" for bullet wounds and discounted crutches. Netizens coined the nickname "Wheelliam Ruto" while hashtags such as #LegShotPolicy, #WheelchairEconomy and #RutoTheCrippler trended across X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and Facebook.
Victor Kiprotich, a social media user, said, "We soldier on now has a different meaning in Kenya after Wheelliam Ruto's shoot-the-legs directive. We are not our parents."
Political analyst Wanjiru Gikonyo said, "This meme culture is not just comedy it's political resistance. When citizens feel they can't be heard, they use humour and imagery to fight back."