Tharaka Nithi Woman Representative Susan Mwindu is the latest casualty in a string of leaders who have accompanied President William Ruto on his Mt Kenya tour—only to face the wrath of a hostile crowd.
The outspoken leader received her fair share of jeers on Friday, April 4, 2025, after President Ruto granted her an opportunity to address the mammoth crowd that had gathered at Chuka Town stage to witness him inspect the Ksh290 million Chuka modern market.
No sooner had she begun speaking than the crowd erupted in boos, waving their hands in rejection as her speech gained momentum.
To her utter shock, the heckling reached a deafening crescendo even before she could delve into the key points of her speech.
Videos circulating online capture the majority of the crowd vigorously waving their hands, a clear indication that they wanted her to stop speaking.
Despite being forced to cut her speech short, Mwindu managed to make her request to the President, urging him to gazette Igamba Ng’ombe as a hardship area so that residents could access funds allocated to such zones.
She also reiterated a plea made earlier by Meru’s governor, Mutuma M’ethingia, asking the president to prioritise the redesign of the infamous Nithi Bridge.
“I would like to thank you for coming here today, and as you have mentioned the Nithi Bridge, I also want to request that Igamba Ng’ombe be gazetted as a hardship area so that workers there can receive the benefits they are entitled to. Thank you,” she stated.
Ruto defends Mwindu
After Mwindu concluded her speech, President William Ruto took the microphone, visibly surprised by the crowd’s hostility.
He urged them to calm down and show some respect, defending Mwindu on the basis that she was a woman and, at the very least, deserved a courteous reception.
“Come on, she is a woman. Please do not heckle her too much,” he pleaded.
Same wrath
Mwindu’s ordeal came just a day after Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah suffered a similar fate when he accompanied President Ruto to launch the Last Mile Electricity Connectivity Project in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County.
According to videos that quickly went viral, Ichung’wah barely managed to utter a word before the incensed crowd erupted, waving their hands furiously in protest at him being given the microphone.
Although he attempted to press on, his efforts only fuelled the crowd’s anger, escalating the jeers into a full-blown rejection, making it abundantly clear that he was not welcome.
The MP appeared stunned at the public dismissal and, in an attempt to salvage the moment, reassured the audience that jobs from the Affordable Housing project, which the president had pledged to roll out in the area, would be allocated to the young people in attendance.
“They have assured me that all the stonework for the affordable housing project will be assigned to these young men from this area,” he stated.
However, this did nothing to pacify the irate crowd. If anything, it only intensified their fury as they turned up the volume of their boos, defiantly waving their hands and ensuring he could not continue speaking.
At that point, Ichung’wah lost his composure and snapped, warning the crowd that he was not a leader who could be silenced at will. Standing his ground, he turned to the president, asserting that he was not one to cave in to rejection or intimidation.
“Calm down. I am not someone who gets shouted down, Mr President. I will not be silenced,” he declared defiantly.
He went on to declare that he would not be browbeaten into submission and emphasised that none of the leaders accompanying the president from Nyandarua would succumb to intimidation.
“As we have said, here in Ol Kalou and across Nyandarua, no one will be bullied into silence, and I will not be intimidated—God is my witness,” he asserted.
Even with that, the crowd remained defiant, their jeers growing even louder. Ultimately, Ichung’wah was forced to cut his speech short, sarcastically thanking the hecklers for their “warm” reception.
“May God bless you all—thank you very much,” he quipped before stepping away.
His response appeared to catch President Ruto off guard, as he had been quietly observing the unfolding drama. After Ichung’wah stepped aside, the President took control of the situation, attempting to pacify the restless crowd.
“Alright, alright, I have received the message loud and clear. Now, let me invite the next leader,” he stated before moving on with the programme.