By Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro
The Kenyan government has labelled as “shameful” an incident in which a shoe was thrown at President William Ruto during a public rally on Sunday.
Widely circulated videos show the shoe striking the president’s left arm as he raised it while addressing the crowd.
Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura condemned the act and urged authorities to apprehend those responsible. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he questioned, “What would happen if we all decided to throw shoes at each other? What values are we teaching our children?” He also called for respect toward the presidency.
Kenyan media reports indicate that three individuals have been arrested, though police have yet to confirm this. Some members of parliament have criticized the act, calling it a serious breach of security.
Dennis Itumbi, a senior official in the president’s office, described the event as a “moment that got out of hand,” suggesting it was accidental. He shared a video from another angle on Facebook, claiming it showed someone jokingly holding up a shoe as if it were a camera. Another person, annoyed by the obstruction, slapped the shoe away—causing it to fly forward and hit the president.
The incident occurred in Migori County, in western Kenya, during the president’s three-day tour of the region, where he was launching development projects.
While some Kenyans see the shoe-throwing as disrespectful, others suggest it reflects public frustration over the economy. An official video of the event posted by the president on X excludes the shoe-throwing moment. However, a brief commotion is visible in the crowd, and the president is heard asking security personnel not to target audience members. The video then cuts to other speakers at the rally.
The incident has sparked broader concerns over the safety of public officials. Just last week, an opposition MP was shot dead in Nairobi in what is believed to be an assassination.
Nelson Koech, an MP from Ruto’s party, condemned Sunday’s incident, calling it “an affront to our democracy.” Speaking on Citizen TV, he remarked: “We have taken a joke too far. You can imagine if that shoe was a bullet. It took a very bold step for someone to throw a shoe at the president. We must secure the head of state.”
Migori is known to be a stronghold of opposition leader Rail
