William Ruto

William Ruto
Official portrait, 2022
William Ruto
Born	William Kipchirchir Arap Ruto 21 12, 1966
Birthplace	Kamagut, Kenya
Nationality	Kenyan
Occupation	Politician
Title	President of Kenya
Known for	5th President of Kenya; 1st elected Deputy President of Kenya
Children	7
Awards	Major Non-NATO Ally designation for Kenya (2024)

William Kipchirchir Samoei Arap Ruto (born 21 December 1966) is a Kenyan politician serving as the fifth and current President of Kenya since 13 September 2022. Born in Kamagut in what is now Uasin Gishu County, Ruto rose from humble beginnings — selling chickens as a young man — to become one of Kenya's most consequential political figures across three decades of public life. Before assuming the presidency, he served as Kenya's first elected Deputy President from 2013 to 2022 under President Uhuru Kenyatta, and held three cabinet portfolios under the administrations of Presidents Daniel arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki. He represented the Eldoret North constituency in the National Assembly from 1997 to 2013. Ruto first entered national politics through the Kenya African National Union (KANU), later joined the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), and ultimately founded the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) under which he won the presidency in the August 2022 general election. His presidency has been marked by efforts to elevate Kenya's geopolitical standing, including the country's designation as a Major Non-NATO Ally of the United States, as well as domestic policy initiatives centered on economic reform and environmental restoration.

Early Life

William Kipchirchir Arap Ruto was born on 21 December 1966 in Kamagut, a small village in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. He grew up in a modest rural household. Ruto has frequently spoken of his upbringing in poverty, and accounts from Kenyan media describe him as having sold chickens by the roadside as a youth to supplement the family income — a biographical detail that later became central to his political identity as a self-described "hustler" who had risen through determination and enterprise.

Ruto is a member of the Kalenjin ethnic community, which has historically been politically influential in Kenya's Rift Valley province. His early life in Kamagut placed him within the heartland of Kalenjin politics, a factor that would shape his later political career and alliances. During the presidency of Daniel arap Moi, himself a Kalenjin, Ruto became involved in youth political organizing. He emerged as a prominent figure in the Youth for KANU '92 (YK '92) campaign, a youth-mobilization initiative that supported Moi's re-election bid during the first multiparty elections in Kenya in 1992. The YK '92 experience gave Ruto an early introduction to the mechanics of Kenyan electoral politics and brought him into contact with senior figures within the ruling party. According to accounts in the Kenyan press, Ruto's involvement in the campaign helped him build both a financial base and a network of political contacts that would prove instrumental in his subsequent career.

Ruto later reflected on his relationship with Moi, describing the former president as a "vicious, interesting fellow" who had been a formative figure in his political development.

Education

Ruto attended local primary and secondary schools in the Rift Valley before enrolling at the University of Nairobi, where he studied botany and zoology, earning a Bachelor of Science degree. He later obtained a Master of Science degree in plant ecology from the same university. His educational background in the sciences distinguished him from many Kenyan politicians of his generation, who more commonly held degrees in law or the arts. During his time at the University of Nairobi, Ruto was active in student politics and campus Christian organizations, which provided him with early experience in public speaking and organizing.

Career

Early Political Career and Parliament (1997–2007)

Ruto entered elective politics in the 1997 Kenyan general election, successfully contesting the Eldoret North constituency seat in the National Assembly on a KANU ticket. He defeated the incumbent, Reuben Chesire, and at 30 years of age became one of the younger members of parliament at the time. As a backbencher aligned with the Moi wing of KANU, Ruto quickly built a reputation as an energetic and ambitious politician within Rift Valley politics.

In August 2002, as President Moi's final term drew to a close, Ruto was appointed Minister for Home Affairs in a cabinet reshuffle. The appointment was brief, lasting only from August to December 2002, as KANU lost power in the December 2002 general election that brought Mwai Kibaki and the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) to power. Ruto was re-elected to his Eldoret North parliamentary seat in the 2002 election, but now sat in the opposition.

During the 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum, Ruto aligned himself with the "Orange" faction that opposed the proposed draft constitution championed by the Kibaki government. This placed him in a coalition with Raila Odinga and other opposition figures. The "Orange" side won the referendum decisively, and the alliance subsequently formalized as the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

The 2007 Election and Post-Election Crisis

Ahead of the 2007 general election, Ruto sought the ODM presidential nomination but lost to Raila Odinga in the party primaries. Along with Musalia Mudavadi, who finished second, Ruto subsequently supported Odinga's candidature for the presidency. The December 2007 election, which pitted Odinga against the incumbent President Kibaki, produced a disputed result. Kibaki was declared the winner, prompting allegations of vote-rigging from the ODM camp. The disputed outcome triggered widespread post-election violence across Kenya, particularly in the Rift Valley, Nyanza, and parts of Nairobi. The violence resulted in over 1,000 deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Kenyans.

Ruto, as a senior ODM figure and a prominent Kalenjin leader, became a central figure in the political crisis. The International Criminal Court (ICC) subsequently opened an investigation into the post-election violence. In 2011, the ICC confirmed charges of crimes against humanity against Ruto, alleging that he had helped organize and finance attacks against supporters of the Party of National Unity (PNU) in the Rift Valley. Ruto denied all charges. The trial at The Hague commenced in 2013. In April 2016, the ICC vacated the charges against Ruto and his co-accused Joshua Arap Sang, with the trial chamber ruling that the prosecution's case had been compromised by witness interference and the recantation of key testimony. The prosecution had argued that witnesses had been intimidated and bribed into withdrawing their evidence.

Minister of Agriculture and Higher Education (2008–2010)

Following the mediation of the post-election crisis by former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, a power-sharing arrangement was established between Kibaki and Odinga, with Odinga serving as Prime Minister in a coalition government. Ruto was appointed Minister for Agriculture in April 2008, serving under both President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga.

As Agriculture Minister, Ruto oversaw a period that included controversy over the Mau Forest complex, one of Kenya's most important water catchment areas. The government launched an eviction exercise to remove settlers from the forest, a move that generated significant political debate and affected communities in the Rift Valley.

In April 2010, Ruto was moved from the Agriculture portfolio to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology. His tenure in this role was brief, lasting from April to October 2010.

Alliance with Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy Presidency (2013–2022)

In a realignment that reshaped Kenyan politics, Ruto forged an alliance with Uhuru Kenyatta ahead of the 2013 general election. The two men, who had been on opposite sides during the 2007 election — Kenyatta had supported Kibaki while Ruto had backed Odinga — found common cause in part because both faced ICC charges related to the post-election violence. Their alliance, known as the Jubilee Coalition, paired Kenyatta's The National Alliance (TNA) with Ruto's United Republican Party (URP).

Ruto initially declared his own presidential candidacy for 2013 but withdrew in favour of Kenyatta, accepting the nomination as deputy presidential candidate. The Jubilee Coalition won the March 2013 election in the first round with 50.07 per cent of the vote, narrowly avoiding a runoff. Ruto was sworn in as Kenya's first elected Deputy President on 9 April 2013.

The Jubilee Coalition was subsequently consolidated into the Jubilee Party ahead of the 2017 general election, with Kenyatta and Ruto running on a unified ticket. They won re-election in August 2017, though the initial result was annulled by the Supreme Court of Kenya — the first such annulment in African history — on procedural and legal grounds. Kenyatta and Ruto won the repeat election held in October 2017, which was boycotted by the opposition.

During his tenure as Deputy President, Ruto positioned himself as the heir apparent to Kenyatta. However, from approximately 2018 onward, the relationship between Kenyatta and Ruto deteriorated following the "Handshake" — a political rapprochement between Kenyatta and longtime opposition leader Raila Odinga in March 2018. The Handshake, intended to reduce political tensions and promote constitutional reform through the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), effectively sidelined Ruto within the governing coalition. Ruto opposed the BBI, arguing that it was a vehicle for expanding government positions for political elites rather than addressing the needs of ordinary Kenyans.

The political fallout between Kenyatta and Ruto deepened throughout the remainder of the presidential term. Kenyatta ultimately endorsed Odinga as his preferred successor for the 2022 presidential election, a move that formalized the break between the president and his deputy.

2022 Presidential Campaign and Election

Ruto launched his presidential campaign under the banner of the Kenya Kwanza ("Kenya First") coalition, anchored by his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, which he had founded in 2021. His campaign centered on what he termed the "hustler narrative" — a populist message that framed the election as a contest between ordinary, hard-working Kenyans ("hustlers") and a wealthy, entrenched political establishment ("dynasties"), a term directed at the Kenyatta and Odinga families, both of which had produced presidents or prominent political leaders.

The August 2022 presidential election was contested principally between Ruto and Odinga, who ran under the Azimio la Umoja ("Declaration of Unity") coalition with Kenyatta's backing. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) declared Ruto the winner with 50.49 per cent of the vote, though the declaration was accompanied by dramatic scenes at the national tallying centre, where a minority of IEBC commissioners publicly dissented from the result announced by Chairman Wafula Chebukati. Odinga's allies contested the result in the Supreme Court of Kenya, alleging electoral fraud. The Supreme Court unanimously upheld Ruto's victory, ruling that the allegations lacked sufficient evidence to invalidate the outcome. International observers, including the African Union, described the election as largely peaceful.

Ruto was inaugurated as the fifth President of Kenya on 13 September 2022.

Presidency (2022–present)

Domestic Policy

Ruto's presidency has focused on economic reform and development initiatives. His administration has championed an affordable housing programme and pursued various infrastructure projects, including the completion of the Talanta Sports City stadium project. The administration also launched the National Tree Growing and Restoration campaign, an environmental initiative aimed at significantly increasing Kenya's forest cover.

Domestically, Ruto's government introduced tax measures and austerity policies aimed at reducing Kenya's fiscal deficit, which generated public debate. In 2024, proposed finance legislation prompted widespread youth-led protests across the country.

Foreign Policy and International Engagement

Ruto has sought to elevate Kenya's role on the international stage. Under his administration, Kenya became the first sub-Saharan African nation to be designated as a Major Non-NATO Ally by the United States, reflecting deepened security and diplomatic cooperation between the two countries. In December 2025, Ruto met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the signing of a Health Framework of Cooperation between Kenya and the United States.

Ruto has also positioned himself as an advocate for climate justice and reform of global financial institutions. He chaired the inaugural Africa Climate Summit held in Nairobi in September 2023, which produced the Nairobi Declaration — a document calling for a global carbon tax and a more equitable international debt architecture for developing nations.

Regionally, Ruto has been involved in mediation efforts in East Africa, including the Nairobi Process aimed at addressing the conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and participation in Sudan peace initiatives. In early 2026, his administration announced plans to reopen Kenya's border with Somalia, which had been closed for nearly 15 years due to security concerns related to the al-Shabab militant group.

Ruto has maintained active diplomatic engagement with European partners, including meetings with the European Union ambassador to Kenya.

Personal Life

William Ruto is married and has seven children, including a daughter named Charlene. He is a practising Christian and has been open about the role of faith in his personal and political life; during his university years, he was active in the Christian Union at the University of Nairobi. As president, he resides at State House, Nairobi.

Ruto has been described in Kenyan media as a shrewd political strategist and a prolific networker. His rise from rural poverty to the presidency has been a defining element of his public persona. He has faced scrutiny over his accumulation of wealth, with critics and the media questioning the sources of his considerable business interests, though Ruto has attributed his financial success to legitimate enterprise and investment.

Recognition

Ruto's presidency has brought Kenya increased international visibility. The designation of Kenya as a Major Non-NATO Ally of the United States, the first such designation for a sub-Saharan African country, was among the most significant diplomatic achievements of his administration.

His leadership of the 2023 Africa Climate Summit and the resulting Nairobi Declaration positioned Ruto as one of the continent's leading voices on climate policy and financial reform for developing nations. The summit attracted heads of state and international leaders from across the globe and was considered a milestone in African-led climate advocacy.

Ruto's mediation roles in the DRC and Sudan conflicts have drawn recognition from regional and international organizations, contributing to Kenya's standing as a diplomatic actor in the East African region.

The ICC case, which concluded with the vacation of charges in 2016, remained a significant element of Ruto's international profile for over a decade. The case drew global attention to both the post-election violence in Kenya and broader questions about the ICC's effectiveness in prosecuting cases involving sitting heads of state and senior government officials.