President William Ruto briefly paused his speech on Thursday after a man breached security and ran toward the podium in Mandera.
The incident happened as the Head of State was addressing beneficiaries of the Nyota Fund. The man, who has not been identified, emerged from the crowd and sprinted toward the stage before security officers moved in to restrain him and escort him away.
Ruto then intervened, urging 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 officers to ease their response.
The event continued without further disruption.
Security William Ruto incidents at public events
The Mandera intrusion follows a similar moment on February 6 in Mombasa, during another Nyota youth empowerment programme event.
That day, Ruto was speaking at the Jomo Kenyatta Showground as funds were being disbursed to young entrepreneurs from Mombasa, Kwale and Taita-Taveta counties. As he engaged the crowd from the podium, a man ran toward the dais, briefly catching security officers off guard.
Security aides moved to restrain the man, but Ruto told them to ease up and allowed a short exchange.
In front of the crowd, the President asked the man his name. He replied that he was Jeremiah. Ruto joked with him about his hairstyle and asked about his shoes, prompting laughter from the audience.
Jeremiah said he had come from Nairobi and claimed he had followed the President to several towns, including Kisumu and Nakuru. Ruto then asked whether he was a beneficiary of the Nyota programme. Jeremiah admitted he was not.
Ruto told him to wait until the President finished with the scheduled programme. A security aide then calmly escorted him away from the podium.
Why Nyota Fund events draw attention
The Nyota programme is a youth empowerment initiative linked to business start-up support. Public disbursement ceremonies often draw large crowds, making security management more challenging and increasing the risk of sudden interruptions.
In both Mandera and Mombasa, the President’s response focused on lowering tension and keeping the programme on track.
Ruto’s team has not provided details on the identity or motive of the man involved in the Mandera incident.
