Man who makes heads turn with his close resemblance to DP Ruto

Arnold Cheloti Ndukuyu who is Deputy President William Ruto look alike

NAIROBI, KENYA: He stirs excitement, consternation, confusion and even panic wherever he goes. Apart from those who know him, is a magnet to passers-by, most of whom cast stealthy glances at him, and even stop in their tracks, open-mouthed in disbelief.

What, they ask silently, would the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya be up to walking casually in the streets of Bungoma all alone?

But they soon learn that the man who looks eerily like Mr William Ruto is neither him nor his brother or close relative. Those courageous enough to stop "His Excellency" and exchange pleasantries with him soon learn that they are shaking hands, not with the Deputy President, but with Arnold Cheloti Ndukuyu.

The 37-year-old man has received this kind of attention for over a decade now. Interestingly, his body size, complexion and even height are almost the same to that of the former Eldoret North MP. And if you think that that is all, you would be surprised to learn that he smiles and, to an extent, even speaks just like the second-most powerful man on the land. Yes, Mr Ndukuyu could easily pass for Ruto's body double.

And as if to confuse people the more, he even dresses like the man he has come to admire and respect greatly, including donning the distinctive cap adorned with the Kenyan flag's colours that has come to be associated with Mr Ruto.

"Wherever I go, I hear people whispering behind my back and calling me Ruto. My friends started calling me by that name way back in 2000 when I joined college, and the nickname has stuck ever since," Ndukuyu tells The Standard.

He resembles Mr Ruto so much that huge mobs gather around, especially whenever he visits places outside his home area. But Ndukuyu is not the kind of person who would take advantage of his looks and always sets the record straight to those who confuse him for Ruto.

"I have been mobbed by boda boda operators in Kisumu town, with some thinking that the VIP (Ruto) was trying to walk incognito in the town, minus the heavy security detail that always accompanies him," he cites one example.

But it is not only wanjikus who mistake him for the man who likes to associate himself with "hustlers" and "sufferers". On two occasions, he has been mistaken for the DP at airports, and officials have rushed to give him treatment befitting his "status".

"I have been accorded preferential treatment at the airport twice. The most recent one, being in Eldoret a month ago, where I was ushered into the VIP lounge. I protested because I did not want to be accused of impersonation, but one of the workers would here none of it. He later profusely apologised after realising the mix-up."

Being the DP's look-alike, despite having its upsides, also brings problems. He says that despite his clarifications some people at his work place — he is the acting Information and Communication Technology manager at Nzoia Sugar Company in Bungoma — still believe he is a close relative of William Ruto.

"I joined the company in September 2011, and coincidentally that was the time the Deputy President became Agriculture Minister. Word went around immediately among the employees that the then powerful minister had lobbied for his brother to be hired at the sugar company," he says with a chuckle.

On three occasions, Ndukuyu attended functions where the DP was present, and where the public pointed out their uncanny resemblance.

"We met face-to-face at a fundraiser in 2011 in Webuye where he was the chief guest. Funnily enough, when I arose to give my contribution, the people in attendance started shouting that I was his brother. He just laughed it off," says the resident of Makhese Village in Webuye West Sub-County.

And the similarity is not only in their looks. Ndukuyu loves politics and has held several leadership positions.

"I was the head boy in primary school and held the position in Form Three at Friends School Kamusinga. I was student representative at Mombasa Polytechnic and vied for the student leader position in 2007 at Egerton."