Kenyans on social media have responded with a mix of humor and satire after a dramatic moment in Migori County where President William Ruto narrowly dodged a flying shoe during a rally on Sunday, May 4.
In a viral video, the President is seen instinctively deflecting the incoming shoe with his hand as it flew toward him while he was addressing residents in Kehancha. The interruption came as he was speaking about the rising cost of living, prompting a brief pause in his remarks.
Within minutes, social media platforms lit up with memes, jokes, and trending hashtags such as #ZakayoShoeKa and #UlizaKiatu, as Kenyans turned the moment into a trending topic.
“Uliza Kiatu finally makes sense after Zakayo nearly caught one with his forehead. Migori is undefeated,” quipped one user on X (formerly Twitter).
Another wrote, “Migori has officially launched the ‘Shoe Must Go’ campaign. Zakayo better wear a helmet.”
Many likened the moment to the infamous 2008 incident where an Iraqi journalist threw shoes at then-U.S. President George W. Bush, calling this Kenya’s own “George Bush moment.”
“Onyango from Migori didn’t just throw a shoe; he threw the collective frustration of a struggling nation,” another user commented.
Adding to the moment’s pop culture reach, the song "Uliza Kiatu" by H_Art the Band saw a dramatic spike in streams—over 250,000 additional plays within hours, according to City Digest.
The incident also brought back memories of a similar event in 2014 when then-President Uhuru Kenyatta faced a shoe-throwing protest in Migori, reinforcing the county’s reputation for charged political expression.
Political analyst Eric Nyamweya noted that while social media finds humor in such moments, they often signal deeper societal frustration. “A shoe isn’t just an object—it’s symbolic of protest, humiliation, and public anger,” he said.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed that three suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident, though investigations are ongoing. Security around the President has since been significantly enhanced.
President Ruto has not publicly addressed the event but continues with his three-day tour of the Nyanza region as scheduled.