A Kenyan businesswoman has triggered a massive social media backlash after suggesting that President William Ruto should extend his time in office far beyond constitutional limits.

Purity Nduta Macharia, who is known for her work in the beauty products industry, sparked the row with a series of posts on Facebook that proposed a radical shift in the country's democratic process.

A controversial succession plan

The controversy began when Macharia posted a message stating that President Ruto should change the constitution to rule for 30 years.

“President Ruto should change the constitution and Rule for 30 years .... We are happy with him,” she posted on her Facebook page.

She did not stop there. In subsequent posts, she suggested that after three decades, the President should hand over power to his son, Nick Ruto.

Macharia further fueled the fire by claiming that "Only 2 tribes should rule Kenya." This comment touched a nerve in a country that has long grappled with the politics of ethnic inclusivity.

“When Ruto retires after 30 years, he should leave us under the able hands of his son Nick Ruto.”

Sarcasm as a weapon of protest

The response from the Kenyan online community was swift and heavily laden with sarcasm. Rather than offering direct anger, many users chose to mock the proposal by "agreeing" in increasingly ridiculous ways.

READ TOO: Ruto addresses presidential term limit topic

Joseph Githinji responded by taking the idea to its extreme, suggesting, "I suggest we make Kenya a kingdom instead. That way his wisdom will be passed through his generations to come".

Similarly, Emily Ka Muchoki commented, "In fact, let death separate us from his leadership... he is the best we will ever have."

Other users used the opportunity to highlight current economic struggles through a sarcastic lens. Jayne Muhuko shared a story of paying 5,000 shillings for drugs at a level 6 hospital, jokingly adding, "Ruto amefanya kazi mzuri hii Kenya" (Ruto has done a good job in this Kenya).

Challenging the collective "We"

A significant portion of the backlash focused on Macharia’s use of the word "we" to describe the public's supposed happiness with the current administration.

Nicolas Marselah was quick to retort, asking, "Did u say We? speak for yourself Purity Nduta Macharia."

Jemyshemy Mwihaki took a more humorous approach to the linguistic choice, stating, "Don't say we unless you are pregnant. Correct by saying 'i'."

"Infact he should declare himself president for life 😂..tumbo lishiloshiba Hadi lishibe" — Milly Kim Milly commented.

"Attacking while defending"

The tone of the comments section became so layered that some users began to question the intent of the original posts. Jeyz Tshiku noted the unique atmosphere of the debate, describing it as "Attacking while defending."

Other notable reactions included:

Christine Gichia: "30 ni kidogo let him do it till death.".

Hellen Kaggia: "Hupendi sixty?" (Don't you like sixty?).