Garissa Township MP Aden Duale has commented on an incident where he was caught on video ejecting Kilifi gubernatorial aspirant George Kithi from DP Ruto’s podium.
The DP was holding a press conference in Karen, Nairobi on Tuesday when the incident happened. DP Ruto was welcoming Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi to his UDA party after he defected from Azimio.
As Ruto was testing the microphone before addressing the press, Kithi was seen approaching the lineup and trying to find a spot between Musalia Mudavadi and Governor Kingi.
It is then that Duale took matters into his own hands, tapping Kithi twice in the back before grabbing his arm and guiding him away from the “VIP podium”.
The 16-second clip instantly went viral with Duale facing backlash from internet users who accused him of humiliating Kithi.
Some netizens pointed out that Duale is a mere MP while Kithi is a gubernatorial aspirant and as such, the former National Assembly Majority Leader should have accorded the ‘governor’ some respect.
When reached for comment, Duale explained his actions saying he was just following protocol and ensuring the safety of DP Ruto.
“I did not know who he was and why he trying to stand between the Deputy President and Musalia Mudavadi, I was following protocol,” he told Citizen Digital.
“It was a security issue and I tried to intervene before the DP’s security came and removed him.”
Duale added everyone had been assigned a spot at the podium but Kithi had ‘missed the memo’.
“Before the press conference, everyone had been introduced in the boardroom and Kithi was not there as he came late and so we did not know who he was,” Duale explained.
In case you missed the incident, watch the video below.
