On Friday, February 7, 2025, President William Ruto had to shorten his visit to Isiolo County due to ongoing heckling that interrupted the groundbreaking ceremony for the County Aggregation and Industrial Park project.
Following an address by Isiolo MP Bonaya Mumina Gollo, tension escalated as residents started chanting “Ruto must go.”
This situation led Governor Abdi Guyo to step in and appeal to the crowd to demonstrate respect for the president.
“Today is the day of the President; let’s show him respect. Let’s pay attention to all leaders. For those accustomed to arranging heckling, you will not revert to it in Isiolo. Are we on the same page?” he said.
The disturbance intensified when Senator Fatuma Dullo of Isiolo tried to speak to the crowd.
She faced heckling and was not given a chance to speak, which compelled her to plead with the audience.
“We should refrain from throwing stones,” she said.
In response to the unfriendly reception, Ruto alleged that drug traffickers were financing the protests and implied they were avenging his government’s efforts to combat drug trafficking in the area.
“We’ve been facing issues in Isiolo and Marsabit with individuals from other nations bringing drugs here and peddling them to our kids. I’ll state this plainly – we will deport these drug traffickers,” Ruto asserted.
“I hear these drug dealers have brought youth to jeer at us here. Pay attention, young people – you cannot scare the Kenyan government,” he continued. The president stood firm, pledging to continue with development initiatives in the region despite the resistance.
The president stood firm against the opposition, promising to move forward with development initiatives in the area. “Direct your threats elsewhere.
I will construct Isiolo,” he declared resolutely. Nonetheless, his efforts to bring in his supporters faced additional pushback, as residents gestured disapprovingly and maintained their chants of “Ruto must go.”
With hostility escalating and making it impossible for him to continue the program, the president had no choice but to cut his speech short. “You have fierce competition here,” Ruto said before departing from the event.
