Kenya’s President William Ruto raised his arm to block a shoe that was thrown at him during a rally in the western county of Migori on Sunday, where he delivered a speech about the rising cost of living that has angered the Kenyan public.
Ruto was visiting Migori on a three-day tour to announce new government-backed development projects. His appearances went without incident until he reached the district of West Kuria, where the crowd was significantly more agitated.
The shoe toss occurred while the crowd was pressing toward the podium where Ruto was speaking. Local officials portrayed the shoe-tossers as isolated miscreants, claiming most of the people in the crowd “love” Ruto and merely wanted to get closer to the president.
This explanation was difficult to reconcile with the response on social media as Kenyans cranked out memes mocking Ruto and applauding the shoe-throwers for expressing public anger over the dismal economy. On the other hand, some Kenyans thought lobbing a shoe at the president was rude and dangerous, no matter how angry people might be.
Some officials from Ruto’s administration downplayed the shoe strike as a bit of horseplay that got out of hand, or even an accident that occurred when someone in the crowd held a shoe aloft, and someone else slapped it away out of annoyance.
Others denounced the incident as “shameful” and wondered how Ruto’s security could have allowed it to happen.
“What would happen if we all decided to throw shoes at each other? What values are we teaching our children?” government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said.
Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said the police have arrested three people in connection with the incident.
Ruto, who is up for re-election in 2027, has seen his approval ratings slide as the economy worsened. Last summer, his plans for a tax increase sparked nationwide riots that killed and injured dozens of people.
Ruto said the “treasonous” protests were manipulated by “criminals” and “dangerous people,” but he ultimately gave in to the demands of protesters by withdrawing his tax bill.
Inflation reached an eight-month high of 4.1 percent in April after six straight months of increases. Inflation was particularly high for food and non-alcoholic beverages.
