Why Washington sudden embrace of Ruto is a loss for once preferred leaders in Africa

President William Ruto sits on Joe Biden's seat in the Oval Office, White House, on May 23, 2024. [PCS, Standard]

President William Ruto, who has been in office for less than two years, has finally caught a break on the international stage. He's Uncle Sam's darling leader in Africa - after everything that he's been through locally.

The United States' embrace of Ruto is a ringing endorsement for a man whose election victory was challenged, but whose career is now on the up and up.