CS Kabogo Explains Why He Paid KSh 100K to Meme Creator of His Photo

Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, William Kabogo, has offered an unexpected rationale for why he welcomes constant media scrutiny and social media ridicule.

Speaking at the 8th Annual Editors Convention in 2025, the Cabinet Secretary revealed that he views the sometimes-harsh coverage from journalists as something he genuinely enjoys. He went so far as to describe journalism as a "hobby" to him.

The CS was addressing editors at the major annual event. His remarks highlighted his positive approach to dealing with the press.

A Positive Spin on Political Rivalry

Mr Kabogo acknowledged the historical tension between government officials and the press. He noted that journalists and politicians are often "never good friends".

Despite this widely accepted view, the CS insisted that he personally has no issues with the media fraternity.

He told the convention attendees that he takes many criticisms directed at him by journalists very positively.

"I enjoy this space because it is what it is".

The Recurring Hairline Controversy

One frequently discussed topic is his appearance. Mr Kabogo highlighted that journalists often raise a big issue with his haircut.

The Cabinet Secretary offered a unique retort to these critics. He explained that he tells them that his hair maintains itself because his "barber is God".

“And I tell them it's okay because my barber is God, but your barber, you have to go every other week to go to Githurai and get a haircut.”

Popularity Through Social Media Memes

Mr Kabogo shared examples of how digital media transforms his official duties into viral content. He recently saw a post on X (formerly Twitter).

A user named Jimmy had mocked a technology policy announcement. The user wrote: "tech team, we are migrating. This is Kabogo saying we are migrating into the cloud".

The CS stated that these innovations and things "said by journalists" are good.

ALSO READ: Amused William Kabogo Reacts to Famous Meme of Himself

He also recalled an incident in his office where journalists had been present. He was seated on a low seat during the meeting.

When seated, his trousers rode up. Journalists subsequently turned the image of him in the low seat into a popular meme.

The resulting humorous image was captioned to suggest: "This is how Kabogo dresses".

Turning Scrutiny into Profit

Instead of complaining, Mr Kabogo decided to embrace the social media attention. He confirmed that the meme generated from the low-seat photo "made me popular".

The CS later met the young man responsible for creating the meme. Mr Kabogo revealed that he had set up a type of competition for such creations.

The young creator ultimately "won 100,000 from me because of a very good job he did".

"It made me popular. So, either way, journalism to me is a hobby. I like it".