Drama unfolded during Tuesday’s protests in the CBD after an elderly man bearing a striking resemblance to Kenya’s founding president, Jomo Kenyatta, appeared among demonstrators.
As tensions rose over protests against high fuel prices, the man moved calmly through the crowds, his uncanny likeness drawing attention from protesters who paused to take photos and videos.
He blended into the demonstrations even as clashes with police intensified.
Onlookers said his facial features, posture and stature closely mirrored the late president’s iconic image, prompting jokes such as “Mzee amefufuka” (the old man has resurrected).
Clips of him walking through the unrest quickly spread online, turning a day of confrontation into a moment of surprise and nostalgia.
Social media users weighed in, with Dennis K. Msk writing, “Hapa ni lazima kuna chembechembe,” Cyrus Nyabayo posting, “Labda ni mtoto wake,” and Phane Msupa adding, “Naona Jomo Kenyatta.”
The lookalike drew widespread attention, with some Kenyans hailing him as a symbol of patriotism and resilience, offering brief comic relief amid the unrest.
The protests were sparked by rising fuel costs linked to tensions involving the United States and Iran, which have disrupted global markets.
In Kenya, demonstrators took to the streets to highlight the knock-on effects on transport, food and basic commodities.
Jomo Kenyatta was a pivotal anti-colonial activist and the primary architect of Kenya’s independence, serving as the nation’s first Prime Minister and subsequently its first President from 1964 until he died in 1978.
Often revered as Mzee and the “Father of the Nation,” he rose to prominence as a leader of the Kenya African Union and was famously imprisoned as one of the “Kapenguria Six” during the Mau Mau uprising.
His presidency was defined by the “Harambee” philosophy, which encouraged communities to work together to build schools and clinics, while he navigated the complexities of transitioning a former British colony into a stable, capitalist-oriented republic in East Africa.