RUTO & BUSH: GOOD FOR THE ‘SOLE’!

William Ruto may rarely put himself in the shoes of his own people (judging by the harsh policies he’s tried to inflict on them during a cost-of-living crisis) but the out-of-touch Kenyan president was given a chance to do just that recently. During one of his public speeches, a member of the crowd flung a shoe at the flashy leader with a penchant for expensive outfits and VIP travel. The message ought to be loud and clear even to someone as tone deaf as Ruto. Like many so many before him, Ruto has become a middleman for empire, smiling for photo ops abroad while imposing suffering at home. And as history shows us, when the people have had enough, they don’t need fancy methods or expensive campaigns. Sometimes, a shoe is all it takes to shake the powerful. And the incident’s put him in someone else’s shoes too: recall that in 2008 George W. Bush was ambushed by an Iraqi journalist, who flung two shoes at the US president in protest over Washington’s invasion of his country. If only they’d both gotten the boot instead!

Sources

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy5rxed1wnvo

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iraq-war-journalist-threw-shoes-george-w-bush-muntazer-al-zaidi-on-only-regret/

https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/the-high-cost-of-living-in-kenya-persists-despite-its-decline-in-inflation/v833xze?op=1

https://www.reuters.com/article/world/third-of-kenyan-budget-lost-to-corruption-anti-graft-chief-idUSKCN0WC1I4/