Kenyan politician William Ruto ascended from lowly origins to assume the presidency of his
nation. He has maintained his status as a well-known figure in Kenyan politics while dealing
with his fair share of controversy and working to advance the causes of rural areas and youth.
CHILDHOOD AND SCHOOLING
William Samoei Ruto is the full name of this well-known Kenyan politician, Ruto. On December
21, 1966, he was born in Kamagut, Kenya’s Uasin Gishu County. Ruto had a modest childhood
and went to neighborhood schools, first enrolling at Kamagut Primary School, then Wareng
Secondary School before completing his A levels at Kapsabet Boys. He enrolled in the
University of Nairobi, where in 1990 he earned a Bachelor of Science in zoology and botany. He
went back to the same university, where he earned a Ph.D. in 2018 after earning a master’s in
science in 2011.
POLITICAL ASCENT
Ruto was involved in grassroots politics in the early 1990s, which marked the beginning of his
political career. He became involved with the Youth for Kanu ’92 movement, which aimed to
support the reelection of President Daniel Arap Moi. Ruto became the vocal leader of the
movement in the Province of the Rift Valley as a result. Ruto was elected as the Member of
Parliament for the Eldoret North constituency in 1997 after winning a contest for a parliamentary
seat.
He served in a number of cabinet roles over the years, including those of Minister of Higher
Education, Science, and Technology, Minister of Agriculture, and Minister of Home Affairs.
Ruto’s political career was marked by both scandal and popularity. In the 2007 general elections,
he was a member of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), but he later broke away to found
the United Republican Party (URP).
Under President Uhuru Kenyatta, Ruto was chosen to serve as Kenya’s deputy president in 2013.
Ruto has a reputation for standing out for the rights of young people and people living in rural
areas. He started a number of initiatives to support agriculture and entrepreneurship in an effort
to raise living standards and lower poverty. Ruto’s political career hasn’t been without
difficulties, either. Due to accusations of corruption, he was charged with crimes against
humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Although the accusations were eventually
withdrawn and he was found not guilty, the incident damaged his reputation. Ruto has been
actively participating in Kenyan politics and promoting himself as a potential presidential
candidate in recent years. He has persisted in navigating the treacherous political terrain by
forming coalitions and rallying support.
Under the Jubilee Party Uhuru, Ruto was re-elected as deputy president in 2017. The President
was one of them. However, when Raila Odinga, their rival, disputed the results, IEBC declared
the results void. The Supreme Court demanded that new elections be held. Following the
reelection, Kenyatta and Ruto were victorious once more, taking office for a second term. Ruto
positioned himself as the next presidential contender after Uhuru’s last term.
KENYATTA AND RUTOS GET INTO A FIGHT.
Their bond became much colder during their second term under Uhuru. On the other hand,
Uhuru and Raila made amends by shaking hands and worked together on the BBI Building
Bridges project, which they said would address the problems the people were facing and offer
solutions. Among those against the BBI was Ruto. He stated that he believed the law would be
expensive to execute. Rutto rejoiced in March 2022 when the BBI was declared unconstitutional
and excluded.
ELECTIONS IN 2022
Under the Kenya Kwanza alliance of political parties, Rutto was chosen as the UDA presidential
candidate. Despite Rutto’s support during the last elections, Uhuru Kenyatta officially abandoned
Rutto and favored Raila for the presidency. Rutto was deemed unable to serve as president by
Uhuru, who accused him of being corrupt.
Rutto, who was adamant about winning the presidency, employed the stereotype of a hustler—a
word used to characterize common Kenyans who have to work any job to make ends meet. With
50.49 votes, Ruto was proclaimed the election’s victor on August 9. Four out of the seven
electoral commissioners had contested the results prior to their announcement, casting a shadow
of doubt over Ruttos’ triumph. Raila Odinga filed a Supreme Court challenge because she did not
accept the outcomes. The court affirmed the outcomes, ruling that there was insufficient
evidence to support a fraud claim. Ruto took office as president on September 13.
WORTH
President Ruto is a wealthy individual who owns a number of companies, homes, and assets. His
predicted 2023 net worth of 40 billion puts him below the top 10 wealthiest Kenyans. It was
stated that his involvement in high-end firms, salary from positions of authority, and power have contributed the majority of his riches.
