President William Ruto encountered a brief security scare on Tuesday afternoon after a bottle was thrown in his direction while he inspected the Soweto Affordable Housing Project in Lang’ata, Nairobi.
In a video that has since gone viral, the president is seen walking away after addressing residents and workers when a white and bluish plastic bottle is hurled from the back of the crowd toward him.
The object missed him and his delegation, but the incident immediately drew attention online and raised questions about the political temperature around key government programmes.
Tensions in Lang’ata have reportedly persisted over the allocation of housing units and the relocation of informal settlers affected by the redevelopment.
Ruto was accompanied by Lang’ata MP Phelix Odiwuor, popularly known as Jalang’o, alongside other senior government officials during the tour.
While no arrests were reported following the incident, it has reignited debate over public sentiment towards state-led housing projects and the broader political climate as the country edges closer to the 2027 general election.
On social media, reactions were swift.
@demungate wrote, “people are tired and frustrated”, while @Elizkamau commented, “He should be in office working for us not on streets roaming”
@fredrickkilonzi simply said, “Ni mbayaa”.
The Affordable Housing Project (AHP) is a central pillar of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s economic agenda and has frequently attracted both support and criticism.
In Soweto East Zone B, a former densely populated informal settlement, the government is constructing modern high-rise units.
While some residents have welcomed the transformation, others have raised concerns over transparency and displacement linked to the project.
The Lang’ata phase of the project is valued at about Sh5.8 billion, according to estimates by economists.
The wider 4,600-unit development is said to have created more than 3,000 jobs for local youth, according to government data.
