Residents of Migori have recounted the frantic search by police officers to nab the suspect who reportedly hurled a shoe at President William Ruto in Kehancha on Sunday evening.

Yesterday, police confirmed to The Standard that they were holding three suspects. Among them two men who were detained for allegedly heckling the president.

Those who witnessed the happening said people were harassed by security, and had to flee before the president could restore calm and ask people to come back.

“After the incident, people were forced to flee because of the harassment,” Daniel Wambura, an eyewitness, said.

Yesterday, a section of leaders from the Kuria community strongly condemned the act while piling pressure on police to act.

The leaders who were led by Social Protection PS Joseph Motari apologised to President Ruto, saying that the Kuria community had not planned such a thing.

“That is an inhuman act, and we must condemn it in the strongest terms possible. There is no one in this community that we know who had planned to do that to the president,” PS Motari said.

The leaders said that it should not be taken that it is the Kuria community that threw a shoe at the president.

“We love the president as a community, and we will continue supporting him,” the PS remarked.

According to the leaders, what happened was an isolated incident where some people just met somewhere and did such a thing. 

A police report seen by The Standard indicates that among the three suspects was Paul Mutongori, 18, who was caught on camera throwing a shoe at the President.

The other two suspects were identified as Ezron Mwita, 22, and Nicholas Sangonyi.

According to the police reports, the three suspects hail from Kuria West, Komasincha, and Taranganya locations. Kuria West Sub-County commander Reuben Bett confirmed the arrest.

The police, however, failed to confirm when the suspects will be arraigned in court and the charges they will be slapped with.

Yesterday, a section of residents claimed they had received money from politicians to cheer the president. They described the crowd at the president’s events as controlled crowds.

“The crowds were largely controlled because leaders had done mobilisation. Some people were paid between Sh500 and Sh1000 to attend,” said a resident.

Political rivals were also reportedly engaged in intense mobilisation ahead of the president’s visit. 

In his speech, the president was talking about plans to reduce the cost of living when the shoe briefly interrupted his speech.

Yesterday, unverified videos showing the incident could have been accidental were circulating in social media. However, a section of attendees confirmed to The Standard that some residents had been jeering the president and mocking his speech before the incident.