NAIROBI, Kenya- This country cannot afford to play Russian roulette with the life of its leader.
The recent incident in Migori County — where a man hurled a shoe at President William Ruto while he addressed a public rally — should jolt the nation out of complacency.
This was a symbol of a glaring hole in the VIP protection system. And worse, a test that the Presidential Escort Unit failed.
In any other country, a physical breach of the President’s security perimeter would result in immediate action — the President evacuated, the crowd neutralized, and a rapid threat assessment conducted.
But what we saw in Migori was a dangerous normalization of risk. President Ruto shrugged off the incident and continued with his speech, as if nothing had happened.
Admirable as his composure may seem, it should never have been left to him to make that decision. His security detail should have acted — decisively and swiftly.
The role of the Presidential Escort Unit is not ceremonial. It is a strategic pillar in the stability of the state.
Protecting the President is not just about guarding a person — it’s about safeguarding the institution of the presidency, the nerve center of national power.
If that institution can be so easily breached — even by a seemingly harmless object — what stops a more dangerous actor from exploiting the same weakness?
Migori is not new to controversy. In 2014, former President Uhuru Kenyatta faced a similar attack in the same region — another shoe, another lapse.
How did we allow history to repeat itself, years later, under the same script? Where were the lessons?
In the wake of this incident, we must ask tough questions. Was proper intelligence gathered before the President’s visit? Were local threats assessed? Were crowd screening measures enforced?
And crucially, why was the President not evacuated — even temporarily — after the breach?
The public deserves answers. But more importantly, the President deserves better.
Security protocols must be reviewed and modernized. Kenya’s security teams should study best practices from countries where presidential protection is treated as a national security priority.
From aerial surveillance to trained human shields and crowd control systems, there are tools available — if we choose to prioritize safety over optics.
Furthermore, the National Intelligence Service must ramp up community-based intelligence, especially in regions with heightened political tensions.
A shoe is one thing. An organized attack is another. If intelligence gathering fails at this level, it risks national catastrophe.
