Four young men arrested after a shoe was hurled at President William Ruto during a rally in Migori County have denied the government’s claim that they have been forgiven.
The families of the suspects insist their sons are innocent and argue that the president’s supposed gesture of leniency does not address what they say is wrongful arrest and intimidation.
The incident occurred on May 4, 2025, as President Ruto addressed a crowd in Kehancha Town during the launch of an affordable housing project.
Midway through his speech, a shoe flew toward the podium, prompting chaos and a swift police crackdown.
Seventeen young men were arrested, with four later identified as key suspects. They now face possible charges including incitement and treason.
Authorities claim to have strong evidence linking the suspects to the incident, but the young men and their families are pushing back.
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Families Speak Out
Hezron Moheri, one of the four suspects, was arrested nearly a week after the rally at his father’s home in Kamasincha Village. Both Hezron and his father, Muita Chacha, say he never even made it to the rally.
“My son was still at home when the rally was ongoing,” Chacha told reporters. “We respect the president. No one here would do such a thing.”
Another accused, 18-year-old Paul Muthongori, failed to return home on the night of the rally, alarming his parents, Joseph Chacha and Esther Marwa.
They say Paul’s shoes now part of their defense doesn’t match the one captured in the viral video of the incident.
In Nyangoto Village, the family of 22-year-old Emmanuel Gisiri is also rejecting the charges.
His mother, Tabitha Nyaitonyi, a gold mine worker, says Emmanuel was 150 meters underground at the time the shoe was thrown. He was arrested later that evening while shopping for groceries, she claims.
The fourth suspect, Nicholas Mwita, remains at large. His remote location and limited digital footprint have made him difficult to track.
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After spending 14 days in custody, the four suspects were released on May 25 after each posted a KSh 100,000 bond. A court is expected to decide soon whether they will formally be charged.
Ruto Forgiveness Questioned
Following the rally, President Ruto appeared to downplay the incident. Speaking through Government Spokesman Isaac Mwaura on May 6, the president declared he had “forgiven those responsible,” choosing, according to Mwaura, “not to retaliate.”
“This is completely unacceptable! What kind of behaviour are we teaching our children?” Mwaura added, condemning the act as “shameful.”
However, since the initial remarks, Ruto has avoided further comment on the matter, and leaders who later spoke at rallies in Migori County steered clear of the topic altogether.
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