Kenyan President William Ruto Nominated for Global Corruption “Person of the Year” Award
Kenyan President William Ruto has drawn international attention after being nominated by over 40,000 people for the “Person of the Year” award in organized crime and corruption.
This surge in nominations followed months of nationwide protests against Ruto’s administration, driven by a controversial finance bill, widespread youth unemployment, and growing frustration over deep-seated government corruption.
The demonstrations, which peaked in June and July, were largely youth-led, with many calling for Ruto’s resignation. The government responded with harsh crackdowns, including tear gas, water cannons, and live ammunition—resulting in numerous injuries, fatalities, and disappearances.
Ruto’s government has faced accusations of rampant corruption, which critics say has severely damaged Kenya’s economy, healthcare system, education sector, and governance.
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Public outrage has intensified as essential services continue to collapse, with many citizens feeling abandoned while government officials appear to misuse public funds. The situation has led to growing distrust in the administration’s ability to lead.
Ruto was listed alongside several controversial global figures, including Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, who was involved in a cancelled corrupt airport deal in Kenya.
Despite the high number of nominations, the final “Person of the Year” title was awarded to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose regime was cited for using organized crime—such as drug trafficking—to maintain authoritarian control, with devastating consequences across the region.
Other high-profile nominees included former Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and businessman Gautam Adani.
Additionally, Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo received the “Lifetime Non-Achievement Award” for his decades-long dictatorship marked by human rights abuses, political repression, and the plundering of national oil wealth—leaving most of the population in poverty.
According to OCCRP Publisher Drew Sullivan, “Corruption is a fundamental part of capturing states and empowering autocratic governments.” He emphasized that these leaders foster instability, which often leads to violent collapse or revolution.