Somali Elders Apologize to President Ruto After Heckling Incident in Isiolo
Two days after President William Ruto faced heckling from a section of the crowd during his four-day tour of the Northeastern region, elders from the Somali community have come forward to express their regret over the incident.
Speaking at a press briefing in Isiolo on Sunday, the elders, led by Abdulkadir Shariff, the chairperson of the Somali Council of Elders, condemned the heckling and apologized to the Head of State.
Shariff emphasized that they were deeply disappointed by the actions of the rowdy crowd and felt it was disrespectful to the President.
“Our main reason for speaking out today is to address what happened during the President’s visit when he was addressing residents at the Prisons land,” Shariff stated.
“We, the Somali community and the people of Isiolo, are not happy about what transpired. There was absolutely no reason for anyone to heckle the Head of State,” he added.
According to the elders, the disruption was not caused by locals but rather by intoxicated youths who may have been transported from other regions to cause chaos.
“The youth who misbehaved were drunk, and if you look closely, you’ll notice they are not from Isiolo. What they did was completely wrong, and I want to sincerely apologize to our President,” Shariff said.
He further assured that the elders were taking steps to address the issue and prevent such incidents from happening again.
“This was a minor issue, and we are working to correct the mistake,” he stated.
Idle Hassan, the Secretary-General of the elders’ caucus, also condemned the heckling, emphasizing that President Ruto has always been attentive to the needs of pastoralist communities.
“We strongly condemn what happened. The President is our leader, and he deserves respect,” Hassan stated.
“I join my fellow elders in offering our apologies. This will not happen again, and we appreciate the President’s commitment to addressing pastoralist issues,” he added.
The heckling incident, which took place on Friday, saw rival political groups engaging in shouting matches during the President’s address. In response, Ruto accused drug dealers of orchestrating the disturbance by paying young people to disrupt his meeting.
“I know that drug dealers have sent young people here to cause chaos. Let me warn you—you cannot intimidate the government. Isiolo will not be turned into a drug den by foreigners. It will not happen,” Ruto declared.
Earlier in the day, Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo also faced a hostile reception when she attempted to address the crowd. The moment she took the microphone, the audience erupted into chants of “Dullo Must Go,” disrupting her speech in front of the President.
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