William Kipchirchir Samoei Arap Ruto, CGH (born January 21, 1967) is the fifth and current President of Kenya, having assumed office on September 13, 2022. Prior to his presidency, he served as Kenya’s first elected Deputy President from 2013 to 2022. Ruto has also held various cabinet positions, including Minister for Home Affairs, Minister of Agriculture, and Minister for Higher EducationWilliam Kipchirchir Samoei Arap Ruto, CGH (born January 21, 1967) is the fifth and current President of Kenya, having assumed office on September 13, 2022. Prior to his presidency, he served as Kenya’s first elected Deputy President from 2013 to 2022. Ruto has also held various cabinet positions, including Minister for Home Affairs, Minister of Agriculture, and Minister for Higher EducatioWilliam Kipchirchir Samoei Arap Ruto, CGH (born January 21, 1967) is the fifth and current President of Kenya, having assumed office on September 13, 2022. Prior to his presidency, he served as Kenya’s first elected Deputy President from 2013 to 2022. Ruto has also held various cabinet positions, including Minister for Home Affairs, Minister of Agriculture, and Minister for Higher Education.
Ruto’s political career began when he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Eldoret North from 1997 to 2007 under the Kenya African National Union (KANU) and from 2007 to 2013 under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). He served as the Minister for Home Affairs in President Daniel arap Moi’s administration from 2002 to 2003. Under President Mwai Kibaki, Ruto was appointed Minister for Agriculture from 2008 to 2010 and Minister for Higher Education from 2010 to 2011.
Ruto first ran for president in the 2007 elections, but after losing in the ODM primaries, he supported Raila Odinga’s candidacy. In the 2013 general election, Ruto was nominated as the running mate for Uhuru Kenyatta, who won the presidency. Ruto was re-elected as Deputy President in 2017. In 2022, after a fallout with President Kenyatta, Ruto successfully ran for president under the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and won the election, defeating Raila Odinga.
Born to Daniel Cheruiyot and Sarah Cheruiyot in Kamagut, Uasin Gishu County, Ruto is a member of the Kalenjin ethnic group. He attended Kamagut Primary School and later Kapsabet High School before pursuing a degree in Botany and Zoology at the University of Nairobi, where he earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. Ruto later obtained a Ph.D. in Plant Ecology from the University of Nairobi in 2018.
Ruto began his political journey as the treasurer of the YK’92 campaign group, which was instrumental in lobbying for President Moi’s re-election in 1992. He entered parliament in 1997, defeating the incumbent candidate. Over the years, Ruto held various influential positions within the government, including Director of Elections for KANU, Minister of Agriculture, and Minister of Higher Education.
Ruto’s leadership in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) during the 2005 referendum solidified his political base in the Rift Valley. He ran for president again in the 2007 elections but eventually supported Raila Odinga. Following the controversial 2007 election, Ruto was appointed Minister for Agriculture in the power-sharing government and was later appointed to other key positions in subsequent cabinets.
Ruto’s journey to the presidency was marked by his firm stance on national unity, youth empowerment, and fighting corruption. He won the 2022 presidential election despite controversy, including claims of electoral fraud from his main rival, Raila Odinga. The Supreme Court of Kenya ultimately upheld his victory.
Throughout his career, Ruto has been involved in various controversies, including allegations of land grabbing, notably regarding the Weston Hotel land and the KPC Ngong Forest land scandal. Despite these challenges, Ruto’s political influence has remained strong, and he has continued to push for economic reforms, such as the introduction of the Hustler Fund and large-scale privatization of public enterprises.
Ruto’s presidency began with pledges to address climate change, increase international relations, and ensure equitable development for all Kenyans. He has continued to focus on issues such as economic growth, youth unemployment, and poverty reduction.Attach
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