Political leaders from Kuria region, Migori County have come out to strongly condemned the ‘Shoe throw’ attack on President Ruto during his public address in Kehancha town on Sunday, terming it an isolated.
The incident that has trended widely on social media as well as on the mainstream media, saw President Ruto blocking the shoe missile thrown from a parked crowd he was addressing by his own hand thereby deflecting it to another direction.
The President is on his three-day development tour in Migori County.
This morning at a press briefing hurriedly convened apparently to sanitise the bizarre happening, leaders from the areas described the incident as unfortunate occurrence that occurred minutes after he had just launched affordable housing project within Kehancha town.
The leaders led by Principle Secretary for Social Protection and Senior Citizens, Joseph Motari, distanced themselves from the incident, citing it an isolated and not a coordinated ordeal.
Mr.Motari stated that as leaders and as a community, no body planned neither was aware of such motives to humiliate the head of state adding that they are now trying to figure out what transpired and the intention or motive behind the action.
“We are trying to dig around to figure out what transpired; whose hands are involved and what was the main motive behind the action. It is very unfortunate that this hapenned when the President was making his first visit to this area and met with such immoral act,” explained Motari.
Further, the PS revealed that from the information they had by yesterday evening, those involved were a few drunkard youths who were already in the police custody.
Should the incident had been planned, the hawk-eyed security agencies in place would have known it earlier and intervened in time, he said.
Conspicuously missing during the presser were both the Kuria West and Kuria East members of parliament, Mathius Robi and Marwa Kitayama, raising questions of a political war between them.
PS Motari however, refuted possibility of supremacy wars between the two local leaders who were alleged to have bused tens of their supporters to the President’s meeting in the area in a bid to show their political weights within the Kuria community.
“I am not aware of any supremacy wars between the two local leaders but our main agenda here is to find out those involved in this shameful incident. That is why we are digging with the security agencies to find the real perpetrators,” stated the PS.
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 by that law and the community.
Migori County Deputy governor Dr joseph Mahiri who extended his gratitude to the president for his continued support to the community, expressed his apologies and that of his to the President and to the people of this country over the humiliation the president received while 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 misled individuals whose motives are yet to be known.
“On behalf of the entire Kuria community, I am extending my deepest apologies to the president. The community did not plan the incident which is very embarrassing. The entire community will curse the offenders,” stated Dr Mahiri.
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 expressed my deepest 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 to 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 constituency.
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.
IAN BYRON