- A man who ran into President William Ruto while he was giving a speech on the distribution of funds for the STAR project in Wajir on February 12 has defended his actions
- The Wajir incident saw the man suddenly climb up on the stage but the police quickly tackled him and threw him to the ground
- Named Abdi, the man said he was eagerly waiting to approach Ruto at Wajir Stadium
- A series of security scares in Wajir and Mombasa have raised fears about the president’s security protocols
A brave man who ran to the President William Ruto during a public event in Wajir he has spoken, defending his actions as motivated by political ambition only.
Source: Youtube
The incident happened on Thursday, February 12, during the NYOTA project funding meeting held at Wajir Stadium.
Thousands of young people had gathered to witness the distribution of youth empowerment opportunities in the government.
The man, later identified as Abdi, disrupted the president’s speech by running towards the stage wearing a white shirt and jeans, causing a tense moment that saw security officials spring into action.
Ruto stood for a moment, watching as his security officers ushered Abdi off the stage.
Showing composure, the president instructed his team to refrain from using excessive force, continuing his speech as a barrage of officers surrounded him.
Why did Abdi run to Ruto in Wajir?
However, Abdi explained his intentions, dismissing any idea of hostility and intent to harm the visiting head of state.
“I did not intend any harm. I just wanted to greet him and share my expectations for the 2027 election as I already said I am a candidate for Jogbaru ward, Wajir East,” he said.
He recounted the sequence of events that led to the conflict, revealing that he was eagerly waiting for Ruto.
According to Abdi, he tried to reach the president, but at the time it showed as Ruto was at the end of his speech.
“He arrived around noon or thereabouts. I waited and waited, and when I tried, I couldn’t finish. At the end, that was when he was shortening his speech; there was nothing else. I stumbled a little on the carpet in front of the president, and they lifted me up, and even my shirt was a little torn,” he said.
Does Abdi regret running to Ruto on stage?
Despite the exciting incident, Abdi showed no regrets for his actions, which have made Ruto’s security more closely watched.
Source: Facebook
He revealed that he could not meet face to face with the head of state, adding that he still hopes to meet him.
“I just wanted to say hello to him, as I already told you, and I didn’t know it would cause any trouble. And I hope that I will meet him. I haven’t met him,” he added.
Wajir’s security scare came just six days after a similar security breach at the Jomo Kenyatta Exhibition Grounds in Mombasa.
During the incident, another person rushed to the president from the front, falling on the stage, before security officers intervened.
What did IG Kanja say about the security shake-up of Wajir?
Elsewhere, Inspector General Douglas Kanja ordered an investigation into Wajir’s security breach.
Kanja said that the security of the president was never compromised and praised the quick response of the officials.
He formed a special team to investigate the procedural loopholes that allowed the breach and ordered them to complete the investigation within three days.
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