If there is one thing Kenyans do better than running marathons, it is laughing through the pain. This Wednesday, the timeline is ablaze with a cocktail of "Njaanuary" blues and the sheer absurdity of a senior police officer hugging a tree in Kericho.

The internet remains undefeated. As Nairobians count the copper coins left in their pockets on day 52 of January, the digital creative economy has found its newest muse: Chief Inspector Kennedy Wanjala. The image of a uniformed OCS clinging to a cypress tree "for mental health" while his juniors watch in confusion has birthed a golden age of memes that perfectly encapsulate the national mood—exhausted, broke, but hysterically defiant.

The "Depression" Defense

The viral video of the Kericho OCS has morphed into a universal symbol for escaping responsibility. One trending template shows a landlord asking for rent, with the tenant replying with a photo of the officer hugging a tree and the caption: "Please respect my healing journey." Another popular tweet compares the OCS’s "tree therapy" to the government’s approach to the cost of living crisis—holding on for dear life while the public gathers to watch the spectacle.

• The School Fees struggle: With schools reopening, parents are using the meme to depict their relationship with bursars. "Me hugging the principal's gate hoping my balance disappears like the OCS's depression," reads one caption overlaying a photo of a parent clinging to a school fence.
• Trump’s Greenland Fantasy: Even international geopolitics hasn't escaped the Kenyan lens. A photoshop of Donald Trump hugging the map of Greenland with the caption "Mine!" has been circulating, juxtaposed with a Kenyan boda boda rider hugging his motorbike to stop repossession agents.

Laughing to Keep from Crying

Beyond the laughs, the memes betray a deeper anxiety. The "Njaanuary" phenomenon is hitting harder this year, with the shilling engaging in its own extreme sport against the dollar. The memes are a coping mechanism, a way to process the collective trauma of empty bank accounts and a political class that seems to be living in a different reality. As one user, @NairobiNick, posted: "If the OCS can get hospitalized for hugging a tree, surely I can get sick leave for hugging my empty wallet?"

As the sun sets on this Wednesday, the laughter provides a brief respite. But the underlying message from KOT (Kenyans on Twitter) is clear: we are all just one bad day away from finding a tree to hug. The only difference is, we probably can't afford the hospital bill afterwards.