He passed his exams and joined Wareng Boys High School in Eldoret municipality in 1981 and, thereafter, moved to Kapsabet Boys High School for his 'A' levels in 1985.
Ruto joined the University of Nairobi in 1986 to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Botany and Zoology, graduated in 1990 and returned to the same university years later to graduate with a Master of Science degree in 2011 and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Plant Ecology in 2018. After his first degree, Ruto tried his hand in business and together with friends, registered a trading company.
Two years ago he told a television station that seed money for his businesses came from the proceeds of a land sale.
He said, together with friends, they applied for the land and got it with the help of President Daniel arap Moi.
With the same money, he also bought his first car.
Return of multiparty
In 1990s, Kanu and President Daniel Moi faced stiff opposition from new parties like Jaramogi Oginga Odinga's Ford Kenya, Kenneth Matiba's Ford Asili and Mwai Kibaki's DP after the reintroduction of multi-party politics.
A group of young Kenyans led by Cyrus Jirongo, who later became the MP for Lugari, Fred Amayo, Gerald Bommet and Sam Nyamweya then teamed to form the Youth for Kanu '92 (YK '92) pressure group to campaign for Moi's re-election.
Sensing the opportunity, Ruto decided to work with the party but instead of teaming with the more flamboyant team who may be could not have accommodated him, the budding politician chose to operate from the party secretariat at KICC under Prof Julia Ojiambo.
He slowly built his profile as a hard-working party youth, who faithfully ran errands for top officials at the KICC offices as he also got the opportunity to interact with the YK officials.
It was during that period that Ruto slowly began featuring in Uasin Gishu Kanu politics and then joined a group that defeated then Eldoret North MP Reuben Chesire's team in the district party elections.
The fast-rising politician would later briefly occupy the position of district Kanu branch chairman as he laid the ground for the 1997 elections when he vied and dislodged Chesire.
In 2011, he was named among the six individuals accused of having planned and sponsored the 2007-08 post-election violence in which 1,200 people were killed and many others displaced following the disputed 2007 presidential election.
His case at The Hague-based ICC would later collapse in 2016.
Ahead of the 2013 elections, Ruto joined forces with Uhuru to form the Jubilee Alliance with Uhuru as the candidate and Ruto as running mate. They defeated the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord), which had fronted Raila and Kalonzo, to form the government.
Uhuru and Ruto were re-elected in 2017 in an election that would be annulled by the Supreme Court.
A repeat election was held but Raila and his allies in Nasa boycotted. Uhuru and Ruto soon fell out over what has been termed as his premature 2022 campaigns.
Prof Amukoa Anangwe, a lecturer of political science, was in Cabinet when Ruto was first appointed Assistant minister and describes him as a hands-on person.
"I think Ruto thrives when he is a victim of the situation. He knows how to manipulate the situation to win votes," adds Anangwe.
Ruto has since 2018 complained about being sidelined by Uhuru and cited the removal of his allies from committees in Parliament among other issues.
How friends describe Ruto
Ruto cut his political teeth at the university, where he was a member of a district students' association.
He saw the open opportunities that existed at the time to reach out to politicians through the association and thereafter hustled his way to the top.
Former Assistant Minister for Agriculture Joseph Misoi, who also served as the ODM Director of Elections says he has known Ruto since 1990s. Misoi was a former MP for Eldoret South since 1988 and then became Assistant minister for Agriculture in 1992.
"In 1997, he (Ruto) was a Kanu official in charge of distributing election materials and campaign funds because I used to visit his Jogoo House office for assistance towards my campaigns," recalls Misoi.
In 2007, Misoi became the chief agent for the Raila campaign while Ruto was in the ODM pentagon as a chief campaigner. The former MP says Ruto was a team player with whom they worked closely and only differed during the 2010 referendum when he opposed the new constitution.
The DP's schoolmates at Wareng High School in Eldoret and at Kapsabet High school in Nandi also regard him highly. They remember him as a focused, disciplined and active student who took his responsibilities and studies seriously.
"Ruto does not deviate from his goals and is always a go-getter and that is exactly how he was in school," says Richard Tuimur, his schoolmate at Kapsabet Boys High School.
Timur is currently the principal of Kipsangui Boys High school in Merewet area of Soy constituency in Uasin Gishu. The DP, he says, was also very active in ball games, especially volleyball.
Classmates remember Ruto
Another former school mate Silas Simotwo, Ruto's classmate in Form One at Wareng Secondary School in Uasin Gishu from 1981 remembers him as a strong leader of the Christian Union and dining hall prefect.
Those that schooled with him at Kamagut Primary School, say he was an above-average student. Samuel Kiplelei, who used to sell chicken at the Eldoret- Webuye-Kitale junction, also known as Maili Tisa, remembers seeing Ruto running around with chicken to sell to motorists.
"I remember seeing Ruto competing with others to sell chicken at this point during weekends, although I was younger than them," says Kiplelei.
As a family man, the DP is close to his children and recently married off his daughter and also attended the Koito engagement ceremony of his son.