Amisi brushes off Ruto shoe incident, says Kenya needs to reflect on bigger issues
By Steve Ireri, May 5, 2025Saboti Member of Parliament Caleb Amisi has weighed in on the now-viral incident in which a shoe was hurled at President William Ruto during a rally in Kehancha, Migori County, on Sunday, May 4, 2025.
Taking to his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, May 5, Amisi stated that nothing is happening now that has never happened before in history and insisted that what Kenya desperately needs is a renaissance.
In his pointed and thought-provoking post, the legislator suggested that while the incident was dramatic, it was far from unprecedented, and questioned why many had become so fixated on overanalysing it.
“Nothing is happening now that has never happened before in history. Kenya needs a Renaissance!” he posted.
To drive his message home, the outspoken MP attached a widely known video from December 2008, in which former United States President George W. Bush was similarly attacked with a shoe during a press conference in Baghdad.
The video features Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi, who, in a moment that shocked global audiences, rose from his seat during what had been a calm press conference and hurled his shoes—one after the other—at the American president in protest.
Bush, who was then standing beside the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, swiftly ducked the first shoe, which spun past him across the room.
Before security could react, al-Zaidi flung a second shoe, narrowly missing the president once again. The second attempt prompted the Iraqi prime minister to instinctively raise his hand in a bid to shield Bush as the room erupted into chaos.
The clip also showed Bush trying to power through his speech—much like Ruto—though the room had already unraveled, with attendees rising from their seats and others quietly filing out.
Ruto’s shoe ordeal
The similar shoe-throwing incident that befell President Ruto occurred in Kuria West, where President Ruto was addressing residents as part of a government development tour.
As the head of state spoke on economic reforms, a shoe was launched from the crowd, striking him on the upper body.
Video footage captured the moment as Ruto instinctively raised his hand to block the object, pausing only briefly before continuing his address.
The rally had been packed to the brim, and the footage captured the shoe flying amid dust and whacking the president, who had donned a white hat and a Steffano Ricci shirt, which is valued at approximately Ksh180K.
Kibagendi’s take
Following the incident, politicians have come out to share their takes on the incident, with many reading deep meanings into it while others, especially those allied to Ruto, rubbish it as a futile act.
Of the latest to speak on the incident is Kitutu Chache South Member of Parliament Anthony Kibagendi, who warned that President William Ruto could have been assassinated had the individual who hurled a shoe at him been armed with a more dangerous weapon.
In a TV interview on Monday morning, May 5, 2025, Kibagendi decried the attempted assault on the president as unfortunate and irresponsible, calling for urgent attention to the safety of elected leaders.
“Genuinely speaking, that was unfortunate and irresponsible of whoever tried to do that. While we have political differences, it shouldn’t get to the point that we want to harm the President of the Republic,” Kibagendi said.
While Kibagendi acknowledged public frustration, he urged that extreme political grievances must not escalate into acts of violence.
“While we have these extreme differences, we need to be realistic in the way we do things. We shouldn’t get to the level that someone wants to harm anyone in whatever way,” he said.