President Ruto Tried To Calm The Rowdy Youth To Give Kawira a Chance To Address The Gathering
In a surprising turn of events during President William Ruto’s visit to Meru County on Friday, a group of rowdy youth disrupted a public gathering, heckling both the President and Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza. The incident occurred at Kiutine Center, where Ruto was addressing residents as part of his three-development tour in the region.
The disruption began when Governor Mwangaza took the stage to address the crowd, and a group of youth started chanting and waving placards, making it difficult for her to communicate with the audience. Despite her attempts to control the situation, the heckling persisted, prompting Ruto to intervene.
The President, visibly upset, addressed the unruly crowd, expressing his disapproval of the disruptive behavior. Ruto emphasized that he was there to create job opportunities for the youth and urged them to refrain from heckling during political gatherings.
“Siasa hii ya makelele sitaki. Hii siasa ya makelele ni siasa mbaya. Nyinyi vijana nataka niwaambie, mimi nataka niwapangie kazi ya ajira. Mambo ya kukuja kupiga kelele kwa mkutano sitaki,” Ruto declared with frustration.
He went on to stress the need for respect among leaders and the importance of allowing elected officials to fulfill their mandates. Ruto cautioned against heckling, stating, “Mtu akifanya kazi si utawacha aendelee na kazi. Mtu akikosa kufanya kazi si mtamfukuza aende nyumbani. Iko nafasi ya uchaguzi saa hii?”
The President attributed the disruptive behavior to the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition, alleging that the heckling was characteristic of their political tactics. He made it clear that such behavior would not be tolerated in rallies organized by the UDA and Kenya Kwanza.
“Tabia hii ya makelele ni mambo ya Azimio na ni maneno ya ODM. Sisi hatutaki maneno ya ODM katika mkutano ya UDA na mkutano ya Kenya Kwanza. Tabia hii ya kupigiana makelele iwe ya mwisho leo. We do not want this kind of nonsense. We want a united country,” Ruto asserted.
The incident escalated when Senate Deputy Speaker Kathuri Murungi brought up the murder of Meru blogger Daniel Muthiani, also known as Sniper, urging Ruto to expedite the probe for justice. In response, Ruto assured the public that the government had already directed authorities to hold those responsible accountable.
Meanwhile, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) distanced itself from the heckling incident, stating that they were focused on serious business and would not be drawn into “petty politics.” Party leader Raila Odinga was leading the party’s grassroots registration in Taita Taveta at the time.
During the event, Nairobi Senator and ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna addressed the heckling incident, attributing it to discontent with the current administration. He conveyed that the heckling was a result of nonperformance, stating, “He is saying it’s you ODM supporters who have sent people to heckle him in Meru. We are here in Taita Taveta with Baba (Raila) and you are being heckled because of nonperformance.”