Rigathi Gachagua woke up in the United States on Tuesday to the crushing news that Zachariah Kariuki, better known online as Mr KK Mwenyewe, had died the previous evening while receiving treatment at Kiambu Level 5 Hospital.
“It’s the sad demise of Mr Zachariah Kariuki alias Mr KK Mwenyewe, a content creator per excellence and inspiration to many,” the former deputy president said in a statement released from his North America tour.
Gachagua, the main target of KK’s spot-on impersonations, added that the 26-year-old comic “used comedy to communicate simple and creative messages to all Kenyans and spoke to our hearts.”
The family’s spokesman, fellow comedian Kafengo, broke the news early Tuesday but did not disclose the cause of death. By mid-morning, tributes had flooded X, Facebook, and TikTok, with fans posting snippets of KK’s low-budget skits that once turned an ill-fitting suit and a stuffed belly into viral gold.
Busia senator Okiya Omtatah joined the mourners, calling KK “a cultural commentator and a brave young patriot” whose satire “held a mirror to society.”
Gachagua, now leading the Democracy for Citizens Party, urged Kenya’s creative sector to honour the comedian’s legacy. “I send my deepest sympathies to his family and his friends… May his soul rest in eternal peace, and God grant his family peace,” he said.
Mr KK shot to fame in 2022, lampooning Gachagua’s accent and cadence on TikTok at a time when political humour felt risky yet refreshing.
Here’s Gachagua’s statement.
I have this morning woken up to the sad demise of Mr. Zachariah Kariuki alias Mr. KK Mwenyewe, a content creator per excellence and inspiration to many.
Mr. KK, a young, consistent, and resilient young man, used comedy to communicate simple and creative messages to all Kenyans… pic.twitter.com/EFSBLjlJSX
— Rigathi Gachagua (@rigathi) July 15, 2025
