Political leaders from Kuria region, have strongly condemned the ill-advised attempt to direct a shoe-missile on President Ruto on Sunday during his development and meet-the-people tour in Kehancha town, Migori County.
The leaders termed the incident isolated and misguided despite trending on the social media as well as in the mainstream media.
However, President Ruto blocked the shoe missile by his own hand thrown from a mammoth crowd he was addressing thereby deflecting it to another direction.
The President is on a three-day development tour in Migori County.
In a press briefing convened early today, local leaders from the area described the incident as unfortunate occurrence that occurred minutes after he had just launched affordable housing project within Kehancha town.
The leaders led by Principal Secretary for Social Protection and Senior Citizens, Joseph Motari, distanced themselves from the incident, citing it an isolated case and assured it shall never occur again.
Mr. Motari confirmed that as leaders and as a community, nobody had prior knowledge of such ill-advised plan to confront or humiliate the head of state adding that local leaders in collaboration with government agencies will spare no effort to unearth the motive behind the malicious act.
“We are determined to get at the bottom of this matter and whose hands are involved and the main motive behind the action. It is very unfortunate that this happened when the President was making his first visit to this area and met with such detestable act,” explained Motari.
Further, the PS revealed that some few drunkard youths are suspected to have been involved adding that although some were already under police custody, the government machinery would cast the net wider so as to address the issue conclusively.
Mr Motari acknowledged that the hawk-eyed and alert security agencies in the region would conclusively deal with matter.
The Principal Secretary, however, refuted possibility of supremacy battles between two local leaders who allegedly mobilized hundreds of their supporters to attend the President’s rallies in the area in a bid to show their political might among the Kuria community.
He warned that should any leader be found to have had a hand in the humiliation of the president, then he would be dealt with accordingly within the confines of law and the community practices.
Migori County, Deputy Governor, Dr Joseph Mahiri who extended his gratitude to the president for his continued support to the community, expressed his apologies to the President and to the Kenyan people over the humiliation directed to the president while inspecting development in the area.
Dr Mahiri explained that it should not be labeled that the entire Kuria community threw a shoe at the president, but just a few misguided individuals whose action cannot deter development in the area.
He further stressed that their love for President Ruto dates back from his time as a deputy president and will extend way beyond the next general election up to 2032.
Mahiri revealed that they will hold a community dialogue to asses that aftermath of what transpired.
Marrero area Member of County Assembly Patrick Marwa while speaking on behalf the youth, noted that as Kuria Gen Zs they had to restrain themselves and not react to the incident wildly but allow the security agencies to do their job.
He revealed that they did not want to bring more shame to the President despite their frustrations. It was too embarrassing to the young people of this area that the President was humiliated during his first visit here as the head of state, he added.
“On behalf of Kuria youths, let me express my most deep regrets to the President for our unbecoming behavior. However, will also dig out and bring those responsible to shame in the near future. They must be held accountable for their individual actions,” said the MCA.
President Ruto will continue with his development tour in Migori County for the second day where is expected to launch several projects in Uriri, Awendo, Rongo and Nyatike constituencies.
He is also expected to return to Kuria region on Tuesday where he will inspect Ntimaru ESP market and launch affordable housing project in Ntimaru town, before issuing a school bus to Gokeharaka secondary school in Kuria west constituency.
By Polycarp Ochieng and George Agimba
