President William Ruto has trademarked the phrase “Mambo ni Matatu,” making it a protected intellectual property.
Last month, President Ruto issued a stern warning to sugar sector “cartels” using the phrase for the first time.
“We cannot continue to entertain this. We need a lasting break. All thieves must stop their acts,” he stated during a tour in the Western region.
“There is no place for such people. There are only three options; Leave the country, go to jail, or go to heaven.”
The catchphrase was later adopted by businesspeople, who printed it on merchandise such as T-shirts and cups.
According to lawyer Adrian Kamotho, anyone wishing to use the phrase in conjunction with the three fingers sign must first obtain permission from Dr Ruto.
“This means that he now has the exclusive use of the phrase,” Mr Kamotho explained.
Trademark registration helps to protect against intellectual property infringement, and such registration is valid for ten years from the date of registration.
A trademark is a type of intellectual property that consists of a distinctive symbol, design, or expression, such as one or more distinctive words, letters, numbers, drawings or pictures, monograms, signatures, or colours.
During the Climate Summit in Nairobi, Dr. Ruto mentioned the difficulties in obtaining significant resources, the need for specialised skills, and the importance of affordability in ensuring equitable development.
“As we say in Kenya, Mambo ni Matatu,” President Ruto said.
“Number one, speed. It takes inordinate (time) to access any meaningful resources. Number two, it requires skill because we’ve all agreed that enormous resources are required and number three, affordability so that we both pay the same.”
