Kenyan President William Ruto narrowly avoided being hit by a shoe while speaking at a public event focused on the rising cost of living—a topic that has sparked widespread frustration across the country.
Videos circulating on social media show the incident unfolding on Sunday during a rally in Migori County, in western Kenya. Ruto was in the middle of delivering his speech when a shoe was hurled toward him. He instinctively deflected it with his arm and appeared uninjured.
“We have said we are reducing the price of fertilizer, true or false?” Ruto asked the crowd as the shoe landed nearby, raising a puff of dust.
The cost of living has become a major political pressure point in Kenya. Public anger over proposed tax increases recently forced Ruto to scale back some of his fiscal plans and invite members of the opposition to take part in his cabinet—an unusual move in the country’s recent political history. Despite these efforts, dissatisfaction with the government remains strong.
Following the shoe-throwing incident, Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed that three individuals had been arrested in connection with the disruption, according to local media outlet The Star.
The act of throwing a shoe at a political figure has been seen before on the world stage. One of the most well-known incidents occurred in 2008 when a journalist threw a shoe at then–U.S. President George W. Bush during a press conference in Iraq, symbolizing protest against the U.S.-led invasion and its aftermath.
