A man who ran towards President William Ruto in Wajir while he was delivering a speech has broken his silence, saying he had no ill intentions and only wanted to speak to the Head of State about his political ambitions.

In a video seen by The Star, the man explained that he was seeking an opportunity to introduce himself to the President and share his plans to vie for a Member of County Assembly (MCA) seat in his area.

“Mimi nilitaka kuongea na Rais kwa sababu nasimama kiti ya MCA huko kwetu,” he said.

He added that the moment came as the President was concluding his speech, and he simply wanted to greet him.

“That was the time the president was summarising his speech, and I just wanted to greet him, and I didn’t know that my actions would cause trouble. I am hopeful that I will see him,” he said.

According to his account, he tripped and fell on the carpet near the stage before security officers quickly moved in and carried him away.

The incident occurred as President Ruto was addressing beneficiaries of the Nyota Fund in Mandera when the unidentified man suddenly emerged from the crowd and rushed toward the stage. Security personnel swiftly restrained him, briefly interrupting the President’s remarks.

However, President Ruto intervened and urged his security team to remain calm.

“Eei, so sorry, leave him alone, let him relax there. He should sit down somewhere there, and I will see him later,” the President said, signalling for a measured response.

The event proceeded without further disruption.

Similar Incident in Mombasa

The Wajir incident came just days after a similar security scare on February 6 in Mombasa, where another unidentified man ran towards President Ruto during an event at the Jomo Kenyatta Showground.

At the time, the President was presiding over the disbursement of Sh147 million in Nyota youth empowerment funds to 5,880 young entrepreneurs from Mombasa, Kwale and Taita-Taveta counties.

As he engaged the audience and casually asked, “Wapi mtu wa mwisho hapa?” a man suddenly broke from the crowd and ran toward the dais, catching security officers off guard.

Security aides quickly moved to restrain him, but President Ruto once again intervened.

“Habari yako boss, wachana naye,” he told one of the officers, allowing the man to speak briefly.

In a light-hearted exchange that drew laughter from the audience, the President asked for his name.

“Unaitwa nani?” he posed.

“Naitwa Jeremiah,” the man replied.

“Very good, Jeremiah,” the President responded, jokingly remarking, “Naona umeweka box,” in reference to his hairstyle.

The President also asked about his missing shoes.

“Viatu imepotea wapi?”

“Nimeziwacha,” Jeremiah answered, prompting laughter from both the President and the crowd.

When asked where he had come from, the man said he had travelled from Nairobi and had followed the President to several towns.

“Mimi nimetoka Nairobi. Nimekuwa nawe Kisumu, nimekuwa nawe Nakuru,” he said.

Upon learning that Jeremiah was not a beneficiary of the Nyota programme, the President asked him to wait.

“Sasa wewe utangoja kidogo, wacha nimalizane na hawa, tutashughulika na wewe,” he said, before a security aide calmly escorted the man away.

Both incidents have sparked conversations online about public enthusiasm at presidential events and the challenges faced by security teams in managing large crowds, even as the President has opted for a composed and measured response in such situations.

Chants and melodies filled the air in a small village in Subukia, Nakuru County, as family members, friends and neighbours gathered to welcome Peter Mwangi Maina back home after two decades of absence.

Maina’s return was described by many as nothing short of a miracle. Twenty years ago, he walked out on his wife and children, making good on a chilling promise he had repeatedly made—that he would leave and only return after 20 years.

A Painful Valentine’s Day Exit

Speaking to Inooro TV, Maina’s wife, Miriam Mukami, recalled the pain of the day her husband left. According to her, Maina packed his clothes and disappeared on February 14, 2006, leaving her three months pregnant and with two young children to raise.

“I came back home on Valentine’s Day in 2006 and found him gone with his clothes. It was a very painful moment. I was three months pregnant, and I became very ill,” Mukami said.

From that day, Valentine’s Day became a source of anguish for her, a reminder of the abandonment she endured.

“But I had to step up and raise the children. When he left, my husband only left two bob on the table. I became both the mother and the father of this family. I was so stressed,” she added.

Mukami said she never understood why her husband chose to leave, insisting that they had a good marriage and no serious domestic conflicts that could explain his decision.

A Promise Kept After Two Decades

She, however, remembered that Maina had often threatened to leave and return after 20 years—a promise that, incredibly, came to pass.

In the 20th year after his disappearance, Maina was traced to Kimende in Lari, where he had lived for more than a decade, working as a casual labourer.

His decision to return home was influenced by a televised appeal. While watching Inooro TV, Maina saw his family searching for him and pleading for his return. Moved by their cries, he finally decided to go back home.

His Reason Shocks Many

Maina’s explanation for abandoning his family stunned many Kenyans. He blamed his wife, accusing her of disrespect and involving their landlord in their marital disagreements.

He said the final straw came on the eve of Valentine’s Day in 2006, when he returned home from work to find that his wife had not warmed his bathing water as he had instructed.

“When I left for work that morning, I told my wife to warm my water for bathing. When I came back in the evening, she had not done so and just shrugged me off. She was busy talking to her friends. I felt deeply disrespected,” Maina narrated.

He said the incident made him reflect on what he described as repeated madharau (disrespect) in the marriage.

“I went somewhere to cry. Later, I came back, packed my clothes in a paper bag, hid them under the bed and decided to leave the following day,” he said.

Emotional Reunion and a New Beginning

On a bright January day, Maina finally travelled back to Subukia to reunite with his family. His firstborn daughter, who had tirelessly searched for him over the years, broke down in tears as she welcomed him home.

The homecoming turned into a celebration, with family and neighbours singing, dancing and embracing, as the family chose forgiveness and reconciliation over resentment.

“I am so happy to be here. I am grateful to my wife, who raised the children and made them who they are today. They are all grown now, and I am glad,” an emotional Maina said.

As the village celebrated his return, the family resolved to let bygones be bygones and start a new chapter, turning a painful past into a story of reunion, forgiveness and hope.