As Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria was roughed up at the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) forum in Kitui on Saturday, February 2, cameras captured a well-built man in a red checkered shirt zealously shielding the lawmaker.
Unknown to many, the heavyset man, Bill Arocho Otunga, is a long-term friend, supporter and former bouncer for President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Arocho accompanied Uhuru around the country on campaign stops during electioneering periods in 2013 and 2017. For his loyalty, Arocho was appointed a Director of Athi Water Services Board in 2015 and, in 2017, he was nominated to the Nairobi County Assembly.
He has so far been pictured at BBI meetings in Kakamega, Mombasa and Saturday's meeting in Kitui where he swung into action to protect Kuria from rowdy individuals who wanted him ejected from the event.
Arocho later took to social media to explain that while he often disagreed with Kuria's viewpoints, he could not watch as he was manhandled at the event.
"I personally often disagree sharply on most of Hon Kuria’s way of articulating national issues but I could never ever see any VIP regardless of political affiliations being mishandled the way this almost turning into [sic]," he wrote on Facebook.
Kuria was ushered back to his seat as organisers scrambled to cool down tensions at the event.
Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu had demanded that Kuria be removed from the meeting for allegedly insulting Uhuru.
"No one can insult President Uhuru and be allowed at my meeting. Get him out!" she demanded.
She was urged on by newly sworn-in Kiambu Governor James Nyoro who questioned Kuria's intentions at the BBI forum.
“Remove him, remove him and take him to Gatundu. What has he come to do in Ukambani? Carry him out of the dais immediately,” the governor could be heard urging.
Not one to falter in his support for the president, Arocho constantly defends Uhuru on his social media pages reiterating that he considers him a true friend.
Arocho also happens to be the brother of famous radio football commentator Fred Arocho.
Watch a video of Arocho (in checkered red shirt) protecting Moses Kuria in Kitui below:
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