Man who blocked Uhuru’s car says he’s struggling to make ends meet
Kepher Nyambane says he blocked President Uhuru Kenyatta’s official car because he wanted to explain his tribulations to him.
The 31-year old was widely discussed on social media on Thursday when he walked to the middle of the road and with his hands raised, blocked the Head of State’s official car for up to six seconds.
And in an interview with KTN News, the father of three says he was forced into this risky venture because his financial difficulties have pushed him to the edge, and he had hoped to have a word with the President on the matter.
Nyambane says he’s unable to fend for his family, which is on the verge of collapsing.
“The President is my leader. I voted for him. We woke up at four o’clock in the morning to elect a leader and at the end of the day, you don’t benefit from electing a leader. I saw a golden opportunity to share my problems with my President,” he said.
He says that he had no ill intentions and that it just happened. “When I woke up yesterday (Wednesday), I did not even know that the President was going to tour Lucky Summer,” he added.
“It’s not an any-day act of bravery when someone like me jumps in front of the Presidential motorcade. Mimi nilikuwa nimefika mwisho.” Adding that he is unemployed and incapable of providing for his family of four.
Nyambane, popular known as Aswani, says he scored a C+ in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary School Education (KCSE) but because of his predicament, he has been forced to have his sister take over the parenting of one of his children to spare him the extra costs of providing for his family.
“I have school fees arrears at that school, Starlet, I’m unable to pay the money. I have tried. And that is the second born. The other child is under my sister’s care. There are no schools here. No hospitals. We are suffering here at Lucky Summer,” he said during the interview.
He adds that he did not face any action from the president’s security personnel. “I heard him (Kenyatta) telling his bodyguards: ‘achana na huyo kijana’. He, thereafter, addressed me, saying: ‘tutaongea, tutaongea’ before rolling up his car window.”
On Wednesday, Government spokesperson Cyrus Oguna downplayed the incident terming him as just “an excited citizen”.
In a statement on his Twitter handle, Oguna explained the incident should not be misconstrued as a security lapse, describing the man as just an overzealous citizen who was excited to see president Kenyatta.
“The individual is a citizen who was only excited to see the motorcade His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta. We wish to allay any fears that the President’s security was under threat,” he said.
Oguna’s comments on the incident came after a video of the incident went viral on social media with a section of Kenyans indicating it was a major threat to the President’s safety.