Three men linked to an incident where a shoe was hurled at President William Ruto during a public rally in Migori last month have maintained their innocence.
The suspects, in an interview with NTV, said they did not throw the shoe at the president, this coming ahead of the mention of the matter before the court on June 26.
On Sunday, May 4, Ruto narrowly escaped a shoe aimed at his head, blocking it with his arm as he addressed a crowd in Kehancha, Migori County.
In a viral video seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the Head of State was seen blocking the shoe that flew his way, past his security detail, and nearly hitting his head.
The president was forced to cut short his speech briefly following the incident. He was addressing the crowd on his plan to lower the cost of living.
The incident, which garnered significant nationwide attention, prompted the quick action of police who began investigations around the area, arresting 16 youths. This number was later whittled down to four, with the suspects currently staring at jail terms or hefty fines.
One of the suspects noted that he was being framed, adding that he was not present when the President was giving his address. His story was corroborated by his father, who stressed that if his son was at the event, he would have taken a picture.
“I know if my son were there, he would take a picture. However, there is no picture because my son was not around,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the family of another suspect, maintained their 18-year old son’s innocence, poking holes at the type of shoe hurled at Ruto.
“My son’s shoes are different. I have never seen the shoe that I saw on the internet at my home. Where would my son get such a shoe?” the suspect’s father quipped.
The other suspect stated that he was not present during Ruto’s function as he was working in a mine when Ruto was speaking.
“I did not even see the President. I do not even know how many choppers he came with. I do not even know the time he came. I was busy in the mines,” he noted.
Prior to the bizarre incident, there were several pointers that the president's safety was likely to be compromised, besides the fact that his platform was fairly close to the residents.
Notably, as the president delivered his address, the crowd of hundreds appeared animated, with amateur footage from within the gathering capturing constant chatter and movement among the residents even as he spoke.
