President William Ruto has sparked a fresh wave of reactions online after a video of him shouting "Akili Bana" while defending his government's borrowing went viral.

The Head of State was speaking during a public forum on Thursday, October 9, where he was trying to explain the state of Kenya's economy and public debt. In the video that is now trending on TikTok, X and Facebook, Ruto told Kenyans that debt under his administration has only risen by 27%.

He then appeared agitated by critics who say his government is over-borrowing and shouted the now famous phrase "Akili Bana" which loosely translates to "use your brains" or "be logical".

"Debt yetu imeongezeka na 27% pekee. Akili bana! Si mnaelewa hesabu? (Our debt has only increased by 27%. Use your brains! Don't you understand math?)" Ruto is heard saying in the clip.

But immediately after the video surfaced online, Kenyans did what Kenyans do best - they fact-checked him with calculators, screenshots from the National Treasury and IMF reports.

According to official data from the National Treasury, when President Ruto took over power in September 2022, Kenya's public debt stood at approximately Ksh 8.6 Trillion. As of September 2026, the debt has ballooned to over Ksh 12.8 Trillion.

Simple mathematics shows that is an increase of about Ksh 4.2 Trillion. When calculated as a percentage, the rise is about 48.8%, not the 27% the President quoted. This is almost double what he claimed.

Kenyans on social media did not waste time. They flooded TikTok with funny videos holding blackboards and calculators while shouting "Akili Bana" back at the President. Others made memes showing a calculator crying and saying "Even I can't calculate this lie".

On X, the hashtag #AkiliBana started trending within hours. Many Kenyans said it was disrespectful for the President to tell citizens to use their brains when the numbers he was giving were clearly wrong.

"Hata calculator ya shule inasema ni 48%, si 27%. Akili ni yetu ama ni yako Mheshimiwa?" one user on X wrote.

Another one commented, "Wacha kutuambia akili bana na hesabu yako ni ya ujinga. We are not kids."

The video comes at a very sensitive time for many Kenyan families. The cost of living remains high, fuel prices have gone up, the shilling is struggling and many youth are jobless. When the government keeps borrowing more, Kenyans feel the pinch directly through more taxes and expensive loans.

Political analysts say the phrase "Akili Bana" might haunt the President just like other phrases that became memes in the past. They say it shows a growing disconnect between what the government says and what ordinary Kenyans experience on the ground.

Opposition leaders have also jumped on the clip, asking the President to apologize and give Kenyans the correct figures. They say telling Kenyans "Akili Bana" is mocking the same people who are struggling to pay taxes.

Meanwhile, a section of Kenya Kwanza supporters defended the President, saying he meant that debt growth rate has slowed compared to the previous regime, even if the overall figure is higher. But that explanation has not calmed the online storm.

On TikTok, the sound "Akili Bana" has already been used in over 3,000 videos by Saturday morning. Youth are using it to roast everything from high rent to fake forex traders.

Whether the President's figures were a slip of the tongue or a deliberate attempt to make the debt look smaller, one thing is clear - Kenyans are watching, they are calculating, and they are not afraid to roast even the President.