President Ruto’s Arrival Marred by Clash at Narok Maa Festival

President William Ruto arrived at the Maa Cultural and Tourism Festival in Narok County on Saturday, November 14, 2026, when a confrontation broke out among rival political supporters.

The disturbance involved groups linked to Narok West Member of Parliament Gabriel Tongoyo and Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu, with additional participants reported to be supporters of Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, who engaged in running battles near the main stage and threw plastic chairs that shattered on the dais.

Attendees dressed in traditional Maasai attire, some carrying ceremonial rungus, were seen scrambling as security personnel from the Presidential Escort Unit and the General Service Unit moved in to encircle the President with a tight protective cordon.

Governor Ntutu and Senator Ledama Olekina later appealed for calm, urging the crowd to remember their shared community, which helped de-escalate the situation and allowed the programme to continue.

No independent confirmation of injuries or arrests was available, and the National Police Service had not released an official statement on the incident.

The episode follows a May 2026 breach of presidential security in Ganze, Kilifi County, where an intruder climbed onto the dais during a public address; Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja described the incident as a serious lapse and ordered a probe that led to an overhaul of the Presidential Escort Unit, replacing commandant Noah Kirwa Maiyo with William Sawe and revising deputy leadership.

The festival, the fourth edition, ran from November 10 to 14 and gathered Maasai communities from Narok, Kajiado and Samburu counties; President Ruto later received blessings from Maa elders as the celebrations resumed.