William Ruto’s victory in the presidential election of August 9 was affirmed by Kenya’s Supreme Court on Monday, putting an end to weeks of political turbulence and dealing a setback to rival Raila Odinga, who had claimed election fraud.
Although William Ruto is one of Kenya’s richest men, he has long positioned himself as the “hustler-in-chief” and the voice of the underdog.
The ambitious 55-year-old overcame longstanding charges of corruption by using his religious conviction and his modest upbringing as a roadside chicken vendor to his advantage.
He described his election-day battle with former prime minister Raila Odinga in straightforward terms.
He said that the conflict was between common “hustlers” trying to make ends meet and the powerful Kenyatta and Odinga “dynasties,” which had long dominated Kenyan politics.
“We want everyone to feel the wealth of this country. Not just a few at the top,” Ruto had said as he crisscrossed the country promoting his “bottom-up” economic plan.
After a very public and contentious falling out with outgoing president Uhuru Kenyatta, who supported Odinga for the top post, the mysterious rags-to-riches billionaire effectively ran as a challenger.
Despite a contest marked by mudslinging, Ruto adopted a tolerant stance after winning on Monday, promising to cooperate with “all leaders” after the result divided the election commission and raised concerns about possible violence.
“There is no room for vengeance,” Ruto said, adding: “I am acutely aware that our country is at a stage where we need all hands on deck.”
– ‘Effective strategist’ –
Since 2013, Ruto had supported Kenyatta as his deputy president in two elections, promising that Kenyatta would support him again this year.
After violent post-election violence in 2007–2008, which mostly pitted the Kikuyu, Kenyatta’s tribe, against the Kalenjin, Ruto’s ethnic group, a political marriage of convenience was created.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) brought both individuals before it on charges of inciting the ethnic conflict.
In the end, the cases were dismissed, notwithstanding the prosecution’s complaints about a persistent campaign of witness intimidation.
But after Kenyatta linked hands with longstanding rival Odinga in a shocking political flip in 2018, Ruto was left out in the cold.
He came back with a campaign that was equally as critical of Kenyatta as it was of his opponent in the polls, blaming the government for the country’s economic problems and even charging Kenyatta with threatening him and his family.
According to Nic Cheeseman, a political scientist at the University of Birmingham in Britain, Ruto is regarded by many as one of Kenya’s best political strategists. Nic Cheeseman made this statement prior to the election.
– ‘Perfect storm’ –
Ruto aimed to assist those most affected by the rising expense of living problem brought on by the conflict in Ukraine. He was dressed in the bold yellow of his United Democratic Alliance, whose symbol is the modest wheelbarrow.
Before the election, Kenyan political expert Nerima Wako-Ojiwa claimed that Ruto “selected the ideal storm.”
Ruto’s hostility, according to observers, is a result of his struggles to rise beyond his humble beginnings in the Kalenjin heartland of Kenya’s Rift Valley.
“I sold chicken at a railway crossing near my home as a child… I paid (school) fees for my siblings,” he once said.
“God has been kind to me and through hard work and determination, I have something.”
His current wealth is estimated to be in the millions of dollars, and it includes investments in hotels, real estate, insurance, and a sizable chicken farm.
Father of six and abstainer from alcohol who identifies as a born-again Christian, Ruto rarely allows a speech pass without praising or thanking God or reading from the Bible.
In 1992, he first ascended the political food chain, according to his critics, and gained access to money. After completing his botany studies, he served as the leader of the YK’92 youth movement, which was charged with rallying support for the authoritarian Daniel Arap Moi, another Kalenjin president, at the time.
When he attempted to launch his parliamentary career in 1997 by running for a seat in Eldoret North, his home district, Moi called him a disrespectful pauper’s son.
Ruto wasn’t intimidated and continued to win the seat, which he kept in future elections.
His critics claim that he stole money from the YK’92 project and used it to start a business. They also accuse him of engaging in corruption and stealing land.
But he has long dismissed such claims, once telling local media: “I can account for every coin that I have.”
