By A Correspondent

Kenyan President William Ruto narrowly escaped being hit by a flying shoe during a rally in Migori County on Sunday, May 4, forcing him to momentarily interrupt his speech.

In a now-viral video, the President is seen reacting quickly as the shoe, hurled from within the crowd, flew past his security detail and almost struck him in the head. Ruto managed to block it with his arm while standing on a raised platform.

The Presidential Communication Service (PCS) had earlier released images showing the Head of State addressing the public from a small dais, surrounded by a sea of people. Members of the General Service Unit (GSU) formed a protective ring around him, though the attacker managed to slip through the security net.

A government official, speaking through the PCS, clarified the difficulty in providing full perimeter protection at the moment of the incident. “Since he was on a raised podium, his guards were level on the ground with the crowd to control them and stop them from reaching the President,” the official stated.

Screenshots circulated online show a sequence of the shoe’s trajectory: Frame 1 captures the object entering the frame; Frame 2 shows it mid-air en route to the President; Frame 3 captures the moment it makes contact; and Frame 4 shows Ruto deflecting it with his hand.

The President, who is on a three-day working tour of Migori County, had been speaking about efforts to reduce the cost of living when the disruption occurred. Though briefly shaken, he resumed his address shortly after the incident.