William Ruto | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2022 | |
| 5th President of Kenya | |
| Assumed office 13 September 2022 | |
| Deputy |
|
| Preceded by | Uhuru Kenyatta |
| 11th Deputy President of Kenya | |
| In office 9 April 2013 – 13 September 2022 | |
| President | Uhuru Kenyatta |
| Preceded by | Kalonzo Musyoka |
| Succeeded by | Rigathi Gachagua |
| Minister for Higher Education | |
| In office 21 April 2010 – 19 October 2010 | |
| President | Mwai Kibaki |
| Prime Minister | Raila Odinga |
| Preceded by | Sally Kosgei |
| Succeeded by | Hellen Jepkemoi Sambili (acting) |
| 16thMinister for Agriculture | |
| In office 17 April 2008 – 21 April 2010 | |
| President | Mwai Kibaki |
| Prime Minister | Raila Odinga |
| Preceded by | Kipruto Arap Kirwa |
| Succeeded by | Sally Kosgei |
| Minister for Home Affairs | |
| In office 30 August 2002 – December 2002 | |
| President | Daniel arap Moi |
| Preceded by | George Saitoti |
| Succeeded by | Moody Awori |
| Member of Parliament forEldoret North | |
| In office 29 December 1997 – 9 April 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Reuben Chesire |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Kipchirchir Arap Ruto (1966-12-21)21 December 1966 (age 59) Kamagut, Kenya |
| Party | United Democratic Alliance (2021–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
|
| Spouse | |
| Children | 7, includingCharlene |
| Residence | State House |
| Education | |
| Alma mater | |
| Signature |  |
William Kipchirchir Samoei Arap RutopronunciationⓘCGH (born 21 December 1966) is a Kenyan politician who is the fifth and currentpresident of Kenya since 13 September 2022. Prior to becoming president, he served as the first electeddeputy president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022.[1][2][3][4] He previously served in threecabinetportfolios as theMinister for Home Affairs, theMinister of Agriculture and asMinister for Higher Education.
Ruto was electedMember of Parliament forEldoret North constituency from 1997 to 2007 under theKANU, and from 2007 to 2013 through theODM party. He was theMinister for Home Affairs in theDaniel arap Moi administration from August to December 2002.
Under theMwai Kibaki administration, he was theMinister for Agriculture from 2008 to 2010 andMinister for Higher Education from April to October 2010. Ruto first contested for the presidency during the2007 election, but lost toRaila Odinga on theODM party primaries; together withMusalia Mudavadi, who finished second, he then supported the candidature of Odinga. He again ran for the presidency on the2013 election, but withdrew his candidature in favour ofUhuru Kenyatta.
He was later nominated to run for the deputy presidency in the2013 election under theUnited Republican Party, becoming therunning mate ofUhuru Kenyatta fromThe National Alliance (TNA). He was re-elected to the deputy presidency under theJubilee Party in the2017 Kenyan general election. Ruto successfully ran for thepresidency in the2022 election, this time under theUnited Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Following a political fallout,Kenyatta endorsedRaila Odinga as his preferred successor. While the election was largely described as peaceful by theAfrican Union and other international missions, it was contested by Odinga’s allies, whoalleged electoral fraud. However, theSupreme Court of Kenya upheld the results, ruling that the allegations lacked sufficient evidence to invalidate the outcome.[5][6][7]
President Ruto has significantly elevated Kenya’sgeopolitical profile, positioning the country as a strategic partner for Western powers while championing pan-African interests. Under his leadership, Kenya became the firstsub-Saharan African nation to be designated as aMajor Non-NATO Ally by theUnited States.[8][9] He has also emerged as a prominent advocate for climate justice and global financial reform, notably chairing the inaugural AfricaClimate Summit in 2023, which resulted in the Nairobi Declaration a landmark call for a global carbon tax and a more equitable international debt system.[10][11]
Regionally, Ruto has played a key role as a mediator inEast African conflicts, particularly through the Nairobi Process[12] aimed at ending the insurgency in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and his involvement in the Sudan peace talks. Domestically, his administration oversaw the completion of theTalanta Sports City stadium project and spearheaded theNational Tree Growing Restoration campaign, which aims to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 to combat climate change and restore Kenya'sforest cover.[13]
In 2024, Ruto received a record-breaking 40,000 public nominations for theOCCRP Person of the Year award. The organization attributed the surge to intense domestic dissatisfaction following the 2024 Finance Bill protests and general economic frustration.[14] However, OCCRP's final panel of investigative journalists did not award Ruto the title, clarifying that in many cases, public nominations lacked direct evidence of significant corruption or a longstanding pattern of abuses required for their selection.[15] The panel ultimately selected ousted Syrian PresidentBashar al-Assad, citing his documented role in state-sponsored drug trafficking and human rights violations.[16][17] Separate from the OCCRP report, an August 2018 survey byIpsos Kenya released its Social, Political, Economic and Cultural (SPEC) Survey, which found that 33% of 2,016 respondents perceived Ruto, then Deputy President underUhuru Kenyatta, as the most corrupt political leader among those currently or previously in office.Anne Waiguru, then Governor of Kirinyaga, was ranked second by 31% of respondents.[18]
Ruto and his supporters strongly dismissed the poll, with his press secretary labeling it a "libellous crusade" by "shadowy sponsors" intended to influence the 2022 general election. Ruto further characterized the findings as "fake news" and "propaganda".[19] Similarly, Waiguru threatened legal action for defamation, noting she had never been charged or convicted of corruption in a court of law. Critics of the survey argued that perception-based polls measure public opinion rather than providing factual evidence of criminal activity.[20]
A member of theKalenjin people from theRift Valley region[21], William Ruto is of mixedKipsigis andNandi heritage. His father, Daniel Cheruiyot, hailed from theKapkomoseek clan of the Kipsigis inKericho, while his mother, Sarah Cheruiyot, (familiarly known as 'Mama Sarah') of Nandi descent.[22][23][24]
Ruto started his education at Kamagut Primary School, then transferred to Kerotet Primary School—both situated within the Uasin Gishu County; and he sat for hisCertificate of Primary Education at the latter. He then proceeded to Wareng Secondary School, still inUasin Gishu County, and laterKapsabet High School inNandi County, where he obtained hisOrdinary Level andAdvanced Level education respectively.[25]
He then enrolled at theUniversity of Nairobi to pursueBotany andZoology, graduating in 1990 with aBSc.[26] He went on to complete anMSc in Plant Ecology, also from theUniversity of Nairobi.[27] The year after his graduation, he enrolled for aPh.D. at the same university, and after several setbacks,[28] he completed and graduated on 21 December 2018.
Ruto authored several papers, including one titledPlant Species Diversity and Composition of Two Wetlands in the Nairobi National Park, Kenya.[29]
During his time in the campus for hisundergraduate education, Ruto was an active member of the Christian Union. He also served as the Chairman of the University of Nairobi's choir.[30] Through his church activities at the University of Nairobi, he met PresidentDaniel arap Moi, who would later introduce him to politics during the1992 general elections.[31]
After graduating from the University of Nairobi in 1990, Ruto was employed as a temporary teacher in the North Rift region of Kenya from 1990 to 1992, where he was also a leader of the local church choir, the Africa Inland Church (AIC).[31]
Ruto began his political career when he became the treasurer of theYK'92 campaign group that was lobbying for the re-election of President Moi in 1992, from which he learned the basics of Kenyan politics.[30][32] He is also believed to have accumulated some wealth in this period.[33] After the 1992 elections, President Moi disbandedYK'92 and Ruto unsuccessfully vied for various branch-level positions inKANU, which was at that time Kenya's ruling party.[34]
Ruto ran for a parliamentary seat in the1997 general election. He surprisingly beat the incumbent,Reuben Chesire, Moi's preferred candidate, as well as theUasin Gishu KANU branch chairman and assistant minister.[35][36] He later gained favour with Moi and was appointedKANU Director of Elections.[37] His strong support in 2002 for Moi's preferred successor,Uhuru Kenyatta, saw him get a place as assistant minister in the Home Affairs (Interior) ministry. Later in thatelection, when some government ministers resigned to join the opposition, he was promoted to fullCabinet Minister.[33] KANU lost the election but he retained his parliamentary seat. Ruto was elected KANU Secretary General in 2005, withUhuru Kenyatta elected as chairman.[37]
In 2005, Kenyaheld a referendum on a new constitution, which KANU opposed.[30] Some members of the ruling NARC coalition government, mainly former KANU ministers who had joined the opposition coalition in 2002 under theLDP banner and who were disgruntled as PresidentMwai Kibaki had not honored a pre-election MoU[38] on power-sharing and creation of a Prime Minister post, joined KANU to oppose the proposed constitution.[39] Since the symbol of the "No" vote was an Orange, this new grouping named their movement theOrange Democratic Movement (ODM). Ruto was part of its top brass, dubbed the Pentagon. He solidified his voter base in theRift Valley Province. ODM was victorious in the referendum.[40]
In January 2006, Ruto declared publicly that he would vie for the presidency in the nextgeneral election (2007). His statement was condemned by some of his KANU colleagues, including former president Moi. By this time, ODM had morphed into a political party.[30] Ruto sought the nomination of theOrange Democratic Movement (ODM) as its presidential candidate, but on 1 September 2007, he placed third with 368 votes. The winner wasRaila Odinga with 2,656 votes and the runner-up wasMusalia Mudavadi with 391.[41] Ruto expressed his support for Odinga after the vote.[42] As KANU under Uhuru Kenyatta moved to support Kibaki,[43] he resigned from his post as KANU secretary general on 6 October 2007.[44]
The presidential election of December 2007 ended in an impasse. Kenya's electoral commission declared Kibaki the winner, but Raila and ODM claimed the victory. Mwai Kibaki was hurriedly sworn in as the president of theDecember 2007 presidential election. Following the election and the dispute over the result, Kenya was engulfed by aviolent political crisis. Kibaki and Odinga agreed to form a power-sharing government.[45][46] In the grand coalition Cabinet named on 13 April 2008[46] and sworn in on 17 April,[45] Ruto was appointed as Minister for Agriculture.[46] Ruto also became theEldoret North's Member of Parliament from 2008 to 4 March 2013.[47]
Ruto was among the list of people who were indicted to stand trial at the ICC for their involvement in Kenya's 2007/2008 political violence. However, the ICC case was faced with challenges, especially concerning the withdrawal of key prosecution witnesses. In April 2016, the Court dropped the charges against Ruto.[48]
On 21 April 2010, Ruto was transferred from the Agriculture Ministry and posted to the Higher Education Ministry, swapping posts withSally Kosgei.[49] On 24 August 2011, Ruto was relieved of his ministerial duties but remained a member of parliament. He joined with Uhuru Kenyatta to form the Jubilee alliance for the 2013 presidential election.[50]
On 6 October 2014, Ruto was appointed acting president of Kenya by the then PresidentUhuru Kenyatta following his summons to appear before the ICC. He served in the role between 6 and 9 October 2014 while President Kenyatta was away at The Hague. When he officially handed over power to Ruto at the Parliament on 6 October, Uhuru explained, "To protect the sovereignty of the Republic of Kenya, I will sign a legal notice appointing Hon William Ruto as acting president while I attend the status conference."[51]
In the August2017 General Elections, Uhuru and Ruto were declared victors after garnering 54% of the total votes cast. However, theSupreme Court of Kenya nullified the election, and a freshelection was held in October 2017. The opposition boycotted the fresh election and Uhuru and Ruto were re-elected with 98% of the total votes cast. TheSupreme Court upheld the results of this second election.[52]
In December 2020 Ruto announced his alliance with the newly formedUnited Democratic Alliance party.[53][54] He was the only presidential candidate to attend the second part of the 2022 presidential debate.[55]
On 15 August 2022, six days after thegeneral election held on 9 August, theIndependent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairWafula Chebukati announced that Ruto had won the presidential election, defeating candidateRaila Odinga of theAzimio La Umoja party. Ruto received 50.49% of the valid votes cast, while Odinga received 48.85%.[56]
Odinga disputed the presidential election results announced by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, and he challenged the results with theSupreme Court.[57] On 5 September, the Supreme Court judges unanimously found that evidence presented by Odinga's campaign inconclusive and upheld the election of Ruto as the winner of the election.[58] In response to the ruling, Odinga said he respected the Supreme Court's decision even though he strongly disagreed with it.[59]
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On 13 September 2022 he was inaugurated atMoi International Sports Centre,Kasarani, in a ceremony presided over byChief JusticeMartha Koome, and attended by over 20 heads of state and government. The inauguration day was declared a public holiday.[60] Attendance was very high, with groups of the general public clashing with security officials when trying to enter the stadium; however, the event continued peacefully.[61] Following his inauguration he officially began his term asPresident of Kenya.[62][63]
After taking office Ruto pledged to address climate change and end the use of fossil fuels in Kenya's electricity production by 2030.[64]
On 18 September 2022 President Ruto made his first foreign trip as head of state to theUnited Kingdom, during which he attended the state funeral of the lateQueen Elizabeth II[65] on 19 September 2022 atWestminster Abbey in London.[66]
Two days later, on 21 September 2022, President Ruto made his debut address as head of state to theUnited Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. He nodded to PresidentBiden's "Build Back Better" domestic plan, proposing a global effort toward "building back better from the bottom upward." The goal, he said, should be "including the marginalized, working majority in the economic mainstream." Other themes he addressed were the expansion of the representation of Africa on theU.N. Security Council,[67] increased investment in the African continent, "moving Africa from aid to investment", tapping "the ever-bustling" human capital for economic prosperity and a concerted effort towards tackling climate change in the world.[68]
In September 2022, he said that the Horn of Africa was experiencing its worstdrought in 40 years, adding that "3.1 million people are facing severe drought" in Kenya alone.[69]
Asked about the ongoingTigray War in northernEthiopia between government forces and Tigray rebels, Ruto said that"whatever happens in Ethiopia gets to Kenya".[69]
Speaking about theSomali Civil War, he said that"Kenyan troops will come back home as soon as we're done with the assignment that we have in Somalia."[69]
In November 2022 Ruto's government launched theHustler Fund, a loan program to grant immediate loans to Kenyan citizens.[70]
In 2023 Ruto proposed a large-scaleprivatisation of public enterprises, noting that it is not economically viable to keep pumping government resources into sustaining those corporations.[71]
On 25 June 2024 at least five people were killed when public order broke down over tax protests. Ruto proposed several tax rises because more than half of its annual tax revenues are spent to service debt. The increased taxes are proposed "on everything from car ownership and financial transactions to sanitary pads."[72]
On 11 July Ruto sacked most of his cabinet save for the deputy president and prime cabinet secretary, and the next day the police chief Japhet Koome resigned after 40 people died over the past month in theKenya Finance Bill protests. Koome was held responsible for police violence against protesters. It was noted that "[a]bout 60% of Kenya's collected revenues goes to servicing debt."[73]
In September 2024, Ruto and German ChancellorOlaf Scholz signed an agreement that opened the German labor market to up to 250,000 skilled and semi-skilledmigrant workers from Kenya.[74] The agreement will also simplify thedeportation of Kenyans from Germany. There are concerns aboutbrain drain in Kenya, as professionals such as doctors and nurses could leave for better-paying jobs in Germany.[75] The deal was made at a time when theanti-immigrationAfD party is growing in popularity in Germany.[76]
Since 2015, the Weston Hotel, a business associated with Ruto, has been the subject of a legal dispute regarding the acquisition of its 0.773-acre site opposite Wilson Airport. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) alleged that the land was public property and was illegally excised in 2002. In January 2019, the National Land Commission (NLC) determined the allotment was irregular but recommended that Ruto compensate the KCAA at market value. Ruto subsequently stated he was a bona fide purchaser who had no knowledge of the original illegality. The matter moved to the High Court after the KCAA rejected the compensation offer, demanding the hotel's demolition.[77][78]
In 2004, Ruto was charged with defrauding the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) of approximately Sh272 million through the sale of plots allegedly hived off from the Ngong Forest. Following a Constitutional Court ruling in 2010 that he must face trial, Ruto was suspended from his position as Minister for Higher Education. In April 2011, he was acquitted[79] after the court found that the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence that he or his co-accused received the funds from KPC.[80]
In early 2020, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) reopened the investigation to trace the money trail of the Sh272 million transaction. Ruto maintained that the renewed probe was politically motivated. Since his assumption of the presidency in 2022, no further charges have been brought forward in this matter, and the case remains part of his historical political discourse.[81]
In June 2013, a court ordered Ruto to pay a victim of 2007/08 post-election violence 5 million shillings for illegally taking away his land during the post-election violence.[82][83] In the same judgement, Ruto was evicted from the grabbed land inUasin Gishu. Adrian Muteshi had accused Ruto of grabbing[83] and trespassing on his 100-acre piece of land in Uasin Gishu after he, Adrian, had fled his land for safety during the post-election violence of 2007/08.[82] In February 2014, Ruto appealed the court order to pay the 5 million shilling fine. In 2017, Ruto withdrew the appeal against the judgment. In October 2020, Adrian Muteshi died at the age of 86.[82]
In October 2019, theDaily Nation reported that Ruto's acquisition of a 900-acre piece of land of another former deputy president,Joseph Murumbi, haunted Ruto because he had been involved in the irregular acquisition of the land.[84] In the same month, Ruto claimed that the articles were persistent, and obviously sponsoredfake news. Later that month, a human rights lobby activist, Trusted Society of Human Rights Alliance, called for an investigation into the mysterious acquisition of a 900-acre piece of land that formerly belonged to former vice-president Murumbi.[85] According to the allegations, Murumbi had been involved in a dispute over loan defaults with a state corporation, AFC, against the land that was pledged as a security for the loan.[85] It is alleged that Murumbi defaulted the loan and AFC took over ownership of the land that was eventually sold to Ruto after he paid off the loan owed to the state corporation.[85]
In February 2010, Ruto was suspended from his position as Agriculture Minister after his alleged involvement in the 2009 maize scandal that saw the country lose millions of shillings from fraudulent and irregular payments made for purchase of subsidized imported maize by business people and politicians. The then prime minister Raila Odinga termed Ruto's suspension necessary and which would allow for gathering of evidence to determine if any individuals should be prosecuted in these scandal, this was in line with a forensic audit done by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on the maize scandal.[86]
Ruto has been publicly linked by several opposition figures, activists, and media reports to the May 2016 assassination of Jacob Juma, a businessman and outspoken government critic. In the months preceding his death, Juma used social media toallege that Ruto was plotting to kill him, claiming in December 2015 that his assassination had been discussed by senior figures. Following Juma's fatal shooting alongNgong Road, former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo alleged during the memorial service that a personal rivalry existed between the two, claiming Juma had once physically assaulted Ruto. Jirongo further suggested that the same individuals involved in Juma's death were responsible for the murder of Meshack Yebei, a potential witness in Ruto’s ICC trial.[87][88]
President Ruto has consistently denied these allegations, characterizing them as politically motivated attacks intended to damage his reputation. He threatened to sue Jirongo and others for defamation, maintaining he never had physical contact with Juma.[89] While Ruto expressed his willingness to record a statement with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)[90] if requested, the murder remains officially unsolved as of 2026, with no suspects charged in connection with the crime.[91]
In June 2016, reports from theFinancial Post detailed a dispute involving Pacific Wildcat, a Canadian mining company where Juma served as a director. Following the cancellation of the company's $2 billion niobium mining license in Kwale County by the Jubilee government, Jumaalleged that then-Mining MinisterNajib Balala had solicited a bribe to reinstate it. Company officials further alleged that Ruto and Balala had pressured the firm to transfer its license to a new entity in which the Kenyan government would hold a 50% stake for free.[92] While Juma’s opposition to the cancellation became a central theme of his social media activism and political correspondence, aHigh Court of Kenya ruling ultimately upheld the Minister’s decision to revoke the license, finding that the cancellation was legally sound. Critics and media reports noted that the loss of these mining interests preceded Juma's transition into an outspoken critic of the administration's corruption, leading to various court filings and diplomatic petitions prior to his assassination.[93]
In October 2016, Ruto filed a defamation suit against activist and photojournalistBoniface Mwangi after the latter posted a social media message linking him to the assassination of Jacob Juma. Ruto's legal team argued that the claims were malicious and intended to damage his reputation as a public officer.The case drew further attention in December 2016 when Douglas Nyakundi, an individual claiming to be an employee at the Office of the Deputy President, approached Mwangi alleging he had a confession detailing the planning of Juma's murder by persons within Ruto's office. Nyakundi was subsequently arrested and charged with attempted extortion, with police alleging he had demanded money from Mwangi in exchange for the information.[94] During legal proceedings, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) reported that Nyakundi had recanted his statement, claiming he had been coached to fabricate the allegations. The court subsequently ordered a mental evaluation for Nyakundi to determine his fitness to stand trial. As of 2026, the assassination of Jacob Juma remains officially unsolved.[95]
In December 2010, the prosecutor of theInternational Criminal Court announced that he was seeking the summons of six people, including Ruto, over their involvement in the2007–8 electoral violence.[96] The ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber subsequently issued a summons for Ruto at the prosecutor's request.[97] Ruto was accused of planning and organizing crimes against supporters of President Kibaki's Party of National Unity. He was charged with three counts ofcrimes against humanity, one for murder, one for the forcible transfer of population, and one for persecution. On 23 January 2012, the ICC confirmed the charges against Ruto andJoshua Sang, in a case that also involvedformer president Uhuru Kenyatta,Francis Muthaura,Henry Kosgey andMajor General Mohammed Hussein Ali.[98] Ruto told the US government that the Kiambaa church fire on 1 January 2008 after the2007 general election was accidental.[99] In 2009 the Waki Commission report stated that "the incident which captured the attention of both Kenyans and the world was a deliberate burning of live people, mostly Kikuyu women, and children huddled together in a church" in Kiambaa on 1 January 2008.[100] In April 2016, the International Criminal Court abandoned the prosecution of Ruto, stating that rampant witness intimidation and "intolerable political interference" had made it impossible for the case to proceed.[48] In the years leading up to the abandonment of the case, there were disappearances and murders of key witnesses in Ruto's ICC case, among them Meshack Yebei whose decomposing body was found at the Man Eater's Park in Tsavo, Voi in January 2015, and John Kituyi who was attacked and killed in cold blood by unknown assailants in April 2015.[101][102] The murders and disappearances remain unresolved to date.
On 28 July 2017, Ruto's home was targeted by at least one attacker armed with a machete, and the police officer on duty guarding the residence was injured.[103] During the time of the attack, he and his family were not at the compound as he had left hours earlier for a campaign rally inKitale. There were reports of gunfire and several security sources said the attack was staged by multiple people. Police initially thought there were a few attackers because the attacker used different firearms.[104][105] Around 48 hours later, Kenya Police chief Joseph Boinnet announced that the attacker had been shot dead and the situation was under control.[106]
On the evening of 18 March, Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto hosted a state banquet at State House in Nairobi in honor ofKing Willem-Alexander andQueen Máxima of the Netherlands. After finishing his opening speech President Ruto, contrary to protocol, then introducedPatrick V. Verkooijen, the Dutch chancellor of theUniversity of Nairobi, as a surprise speaker rather than acknowledging his guest, the Dutch king, who was visibly surprised. Verkooijen then proceeded to give a 7.5 minute speech in which he extolled the accomplishments of Ruto, drawing criticism from the royal delegation.[107]
In July 2025, President Ruto announced that he would build a church on the grounds ofState House, Nairobi using his own funds. The decision was widely criticised, with theAtheists In Kenya Society threatening to sue over what it called "a promotion of Christian nationalism", and Nairobi's Catholic archbishopPhilip Anyolo urging a clarification on whether the proposal would favour certain denominations. TheDaily Nation also published what is said were architectural designs for the structure, showing a large building with stained glass windows and capacity for 8,000 people, and said that it would be expected to cost $9 million, while raising concern over whether it would violate the secular principles enshrined within theKenyan constitution.[108]
In June 2024, a University student, Nelson Amenya, blew the whistle on a deal that was underway between the government andAdani Group to lease Kenya's largest International Airport,JKIA.[109] Many Kenyans criticized this deal on the internet for not following the correct privatization procedure such as having public participation on the matter as required by law. The secret manner in which the deal was being conducted also made many Kenyans suspicious of the disregard of transparency. The president on numerous occasions refuted the claims that the airport was being sold, he added the deal was crucial for national development and for the modernization of JKIA.[110][111] Adani was also involved with the Energy sector in Kenya and had signed power transmission deals with the government aimed at increasing power transmission and rural electrification in the country. The deal was valued at $736 million.[112] Kenya's high court suspended the power deal. The court said the government could not move ahead with the 30-year agreement with Adani Energy Solutions until the court makes a determination on a case brought by Law Society of Kenya challenging the deal.[113] In the same month Ruto reaffirmed that the country stands to gain significantly from the power transmission deal between Adani Group Holdings.[114]On 21 November 2024 in a nation address, Ruto cancelled the Adani deals , which were valued at over $2.5 billion, after Adani was indicted by the US for corruption and bribery allegations.[115] The news received positive reactions from lawmakers.
In 2024 and 2025, the Ruto administration faced international and domestic scrutiny regarding its role in theSudanese civil war. Following a February 2024 meeting between Ruto and RSF leaderMohamed Hamdan Dagalo, reports from investigative outlets likeNTV and Bellingcat identified Kenyan-labeled military crates in Sudanese depots. Further allegations, highlighted by organizations such as SwissAid, suggested that Nairobi served as a transit hub for gold smuggled from RSF-controlled territories toDubai. Sudanese officials and domestic critics alleged these ventures provided a financial and logistical backbone for the RSF, though the Kenyan government consistently denied direct involvement in the illicit trade.[116]
Diplomatic tensions peaked in February 2025 after Kenya hosted the signing of a charter by the RSF and its allies to form a parallel government in Sudan. While the Sudanese military-led government condemned the move as "diplomatic anarchy" and an infringement on its sovereignty, President Ruto maintained that Kenya’s involvement was strictly as a neutral mediator. Government spokespersonIsaac Mwaura affirmed that Kenya remained committed to IGAD-led peace negotiations andhumanitarian relief, framing the hosting of various Sudanese factions as a necessary step toward ending the conflict and restoring civilian rule.[117]
On 9 October 2023, Ruto signed the Privatisation Bill 2023 into law, which gives the country's Ministry of National Treasury and Economic Planning powers to privatise public-owned enterprises without seeking approval from Parliament. Under the new law in place, privatisation of public entities will be done through initial public offering of shares, sale of shares by public tender, sale resulting from the exercise of pre-emptive rights or through any other method that will be defined by the Cabinet. This has been termed unconstitutional by civil societies and groups. The groups reiterated that the process is illegal and amounts to a material breach of procedure, having not gone through parliamentary ratification, stakeholder engagement and public participation contrary to sections 21,22 and 23 of the Privatisation Act, 2023, terming it null and void. There have also been fears for job losses should some entities get privatised. MPs have also raised their concern on how valuation has been carried out with some claiming entities have been undervalued, also questioning the transparency and legality of the entire process. .[118] He has since defended this move terming it necessary as it lessens fiscal burden from the state thus cutting government expenditure and that will also raise revenue in addition to fighting corruption. This was also defended by the then Treasury CSNjuguna Ndung'u.[119] Over 10 state parastatals have been up for privatisation, includingKICC,JKIA, Kenya Seed Company,National Oil Corporation of Kenya,Kenya Literature Bureau, withKenya Pipeline Company being privatised later in 2025.[120]
Ruto is married toRachel Chebet. They first lived inDagoretti, where they had their first child.[121] They were married in 1991 at theAfrica Inland Church.[122] They currently have six children.
Ruto is anevangelical Christian and a member of theAfrica Inland Church.[123]
Ruto owns a chicken farm in his home village of Sugoi, which was originally inspired by his stint as a chicken hawker on the Nairobi-Eldoret-Malaba highway.[124] Ruto and his wife built a chapel in their compound at their residence in theKaren suburb of Nairobi.[125]
| Year | Country | Order / Decoration |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 |  Kenya | Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart (E.G.H.) |
| 2022 | Kenya | Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart (C.G.H.) |
| 2023 |  Comoros |  Order of the Green Crescent of the Comoros (Grand Cross)[126] |
| 2024 |  Guinea-Bissau | Amílcar Cabral Medal[127] |
United Democratic Alliance presidential candidate William Ruto was the only candidate who took part in the second tier of the debate, after his main rival, Raila Odinga, of the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition skipped.
| National Assembly (Kenya) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Reuben Chesire | Member of Parliament forEldoret North 1998–2013 | Constituency abolished |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister of Home Affairs 2002 | Succeeded by Moody Awori |
| Preceded by | Minister of Agriculture 2008–2010 | Succeeded by Margret Nyambura |
| Preceded byas Vice President of Kenya | Deputy President of Kenya 2013–2022 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of Kenya 2022–present | Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| New alliance | Jubilee Alliance nominee for Deputy President of Kenya 2013 | Alliance dissolved |
| New political party | Jubilee Party nominee for Deputy President of Kenya Aug. 2017,Oct. 2017 | Succeeded by |
| UDA nominee for President of Kenya 2022 | Most recent | |
| New alliance | Kenya Kwanza nominee for President of Kenya 2022 | |
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