Migori, Mandera cases were rare expressions of public indignation

When Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi threw a shoe at the former US president George Bush in 2008, the world was stunned. The practice soon became trendy and spread around the world with other prominent figures such as Hilary Clinton becoming targets of shoe-throwers.

In Arab culture, throwing at or slapping someone with a shoe is the ultimate insult and expression of indignation.

The target of such an action is often consumed by shame in society and will strive his utmost to redeem his image and self-respect.

In modern society, it is a criminal offence, an assault. Muntazer was immediately arrested and tortured in the notorious Iraqi jails and subsequently sentenced to three years in jail.

To the Arab masses, he became a hero and was inundated with offers of brides to say the least!

The Phoenix woman who shoed Hilary also faces federal charges in court. And so did many others who threw shoes at prominent political figures in Muntazer copycat fashion in Europe, Australia and Asian countries.

It was not surprising that the first shoe-throwing incident that happened in Migori last week was directed at the President, and by CORD supporters.

Though the incident was unexpected, CORD leader Raila Odinga’s followers have a history of intolerance, and expression of the same through violence.

But no one imagined there would be shoes and other objects flying, fast and furious at a public presidential function in an African country. To be fair, Uhuru was pretty much restrained and took little offence, at least in public. Perhaps he knew that by going to Migori to glorify the defiant governor in Raila’s backyard, he would be stirring a hornet’s nest!

At about the same time, we had a similar expression of disgust at a leaders’ meeting in Mandera. Unlike in Migori, our indignation at the Interior Ministry CS Joseph Ole Lenku was manifested through a strong tongue-lashing that even the media shied away from publishing.

The CS invited the fury of Mandera political leaders after he expressed manifest bias, and ignorance, through his words and action in the conflict pitting two warring communities in the county.

To add insult to injury, he openly undermined the leadership of the county government by not only slighting the governor publicly but also presiding over the indictment of his top officers and advisors.

For a long time, Mandera County leadership has been wary of the escalation of this conflict and the failure by the government to end it.

In particular, the failure by the administrative and security officers to act in the face of blatant daylight attack on Mandera North District headquarters town of Rhamu a couple of weeks ago, and the manner of the deployment of the security officers in the county, created mounting suspicion that the ministry was strongly compromised through the influence of a senior presidential advisor based at Office of the President.

Earlier on, there was a public rally in Rhamu where the protestors displayed placards condemning involvement of the advisor in the conflict. Hence, our public indignation at a CS who should have known better than add insult to injury.

But incidents at Migori and Mandera are by no means rare expressions of public indignation. Last year, when MPs wanted a pay rise, the public paraded pigs and their waste at Parliament’s entrance, and labelled some of the animals with names of prominent MPs.

Kenyans were not appalled by this massive insult to their elected leaders because they found the pay rise sought more repulsive. Well, this time round, it is the senators who are on the receiving end over purported pay increase request.

Even as we get closer to the resumption of the House in two weeks, I will not be surprised if the public expression this time round does include professional shoe-throwing. Senators, please get your helmets on.