NAIROBI, Kenya – Raila Odinga Junior has clarified a viral video showing him greeting wananchi through a fence in Kilgoris on the day of Charlene Ruto’s traditional wedding ceremony.
The video circulated widely on social media after Raila Junior, who attended Charlene’s Koito ak Chaik ceremony as a guest, was filmed interacting with members of the public separated from him by a chain-link fence.
The footage sparked debate online, with some users suggesting that local residents had been locked out of President William Ruto’s private residence during the high-profile family event.
Raila Junior has now moved to correct that narrative, explaining that the interaction did not take place at the President’s private home or at the wedding venue.
Instead, he said it happened at the public airstrip in Kilgoris, where he had just arrived.
In a statement shared on his social media platforms, Raila Junior acknowledged seeing the video and the conversations surrounding his interaction with the wananchi.
“I have seen the video and the comments circulating about me greeting wananchi through a fence,” he said.
“For clarity: this was not the President’s private home. It took place at the public airstrip in Kilgoris,” Raila Junior stated.
According to the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s son, he encountered the group immediately after getting off the aircraft.
“As I alighted from the aircraft, a group of wananchi who recognized me waved me over and asked to greet me,” he explained.
Raila Junior said the fence visible in the viral footage served a safety purpose rather than acting as a barrier separating wedding guests from local residents.
“The fence is a standard safety barrier that protects the landing area for aircraft,” he said.
He added that his interaction with the wananchi was simply a response to their greeting.
“I responded to their greeting in the normal way one does with members of the public,” he said.
The clarification comes after the footage generated significant discussion online.
The video showed Raila Junior standing on one side of a chain-link fence while members of the public gathered on the other side. Some of the people captured in the footage appeared to be children and local residents who had gathered around the area.
Several social media users interpreted the scene as evidence that residents had been prevented from accessing Charlene Ruto’s wedding ceremony, prompting discussions about security, access and the apparent divide between ordinary citizens and political elites.
Rather than ignoring the people who called out to him, Raila Junior said he responded when they waved and asked to greet him. The airstrip’s safety barrier, he explained, exists to protect people around aircraft operating in the area.
His statement therefore sought to distinguish the public infrastructure shown in the video from the security arrangements around the wedding venue.
Raila Junior also appeared to take the intense online attention surrounding the video lightly.
“On a lighter note, I am pleased by the rigor and keen interest with which netizens follow my journey,” he said.
He then promised to communicate more frequently with his online audience.
“I shall endeavour to update you more frequently,” he added.
The closing remarks gave his clarification a lighter tone after the video generated significant discussion across social media platforms.
Charlene Ruto held her traditional Koito ak Chaik ceremony in Kilgoris, Narok County, on August 8, 2026.
The high-profile event brought together senior political figures, family members and invited guests for the traditional Kalenjin engagement and dowry negotiations.
President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto attended the ceremony, alongside other prominent Kenyan and regional figures.
The event attracted significant public attention, with images and videos from the celebrations circulating widely online.
