Tension boiled over at the Maa Cultural and Tourism Festival in Narok County on Saturday, November 14, 2026. The celebration was thrown into disorder as President William Ruto made his way to Sekenani Gate.
Rival groups clashed in front of the stage. Supporters said to be linked to Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo and Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu were involved. Footage from the scene shows people sprinting across the venue. Chairs were flung near the dais, and some lay smashed on the ground.
The scuffle erupted as the President neared the main venue. It is not clear whether Ruto had reached the platform by then. Several attendees were seen waving traditional Maasai rungus. Media crews hurried to pull their gear away from the stage as light showers swept the Mara plains.
Governor Ole Ntutu and Senator Ledama Olekina stepped in to calm things down. Their appeal brought the rival camps back to the podium. Once order returned, the festival carried on.
Presidential Escort Unit and General Service Unit officers quickly closed ranks around the Head of State. Images show armed officers forming a tight ring around Ruto, watching the crowd closely.
Police had not issued a statement at the time of reporting. Details about what triggered the clash, and whether anyone was injured, remain unclear.
The disturbance adds to a run of security worries surrounding the President. In May 2026, an intruder reached the dais during a speech in Ganze, Kilifi County, before being removed. Inspector General Douglas Kanja ordered a probe, and the Presidential Escort Unit has since changed leadership.
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