About William Ruto, Kenya's fifth President

By Executive Order 1/2019, the President established a Cabinet committee on coordination and implementation chaired by the Cabinet Secretary Interior [Dr Fred Mataing'i], to coordinate the implementation of the Big Four agenda. This left the number two man virtually jobless. He would later disclose he was denied intelligence briefs and excluded from National Security Committee meetings.

The only time Ruto would be seen playing a role in affairs of the State was when he would welcome the President to address Kenyans during national days. Or when he chaired Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council.

The president had earlier indicated his displeasure with his deputy whom he accused of loitering [kutanga tanga] by which he mean premature campaigns for the 2022 election.

Ruto would win the election by among other factors securing the support of the vote-rich Mt Kenya region and gaining inroads in Raila Odinga bastions such as the Ukamabani region where he 250, 000 votes.

Born on December 21 1966, in Kamagut village, 15kms from Eldoret, near the Webuye - Kitale junction, Ruto rose from humble beginnings.

He has often narrated the story of his time as a chicken seller while still a pupil at Kamagut, after moving from Kerotet Primary School.

William Ruto ran errands for top YK92 officials at the KICC offices. [File, Standard]

During that election, he teamed up with Jirongo. He then served from the opposition benches and together with Jirongo, Kipruto Kirwa and other youthful MPs became rebels within the party and briefly formed the United Democratic Movement (UDM) party before they quickly abandoned it and went back to Kanu.

Succession plan

Back in the fold, Ruto became increasingly involved in party matters with the likes of Julius Sunkuli, as President Moi began working on his succession plan that later backfired after he picked Uhuru Kenyatta as his preferred successor.

Moi had earlier at the tail end of his leadership appointed Ruto as an Assistant minister in the Office of the President from 1998 to 2002 and later elevated him to the full Cabinet portfolio as Minister for Home Affairs for three months, when Musalia Mudavadi was also promoted to be Vice President.

After Kanu lost, Ruto moved to the opposition benches and became increasingly vocal about the mistreatment of Moi by President Mwai Kibaki's allies.

A group led by Raila Odinga and other disgruntled politicians allied to the Liberal Democratic Party wing of the National Rainbow Coalition, among them, Cabinet ministers Kalonzo Musyoka, Prof Anyang' Nyong'o, Ochillo Ayacko, William ole Ntimama, Najib Balala and Linah Kilimo were sacked for opposing a draft constitution presented to a referendum in 2005.

They went on to form the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), derived from the Orange symbol of the No' side and were joined by Kanu leaders led by Uhuru and Ruto, who had ganged up with them to oppose the draft constitution, among others, retaining the presidential system and attempting to reintroduce regionalism.

Ruto used the opportunity to lead senior politicians in the Rift Valley like Henry Kosgey to defect to ODM. When ODM split, Kalonzo's ally Dan Maanzo ran away with the ODM-Kenya registration certificate, denying Raila the vehicle he wanted to use for his 2007 presidential bid.

Ruto remained with him in ODM after securing the registration certificate from lawyer Mugambi Imanyara. Ruto stuck with him even as Uhuru moved to the Party of National Unity to back Kibaki's re-election.

Agriculture minister

In the grand coalition government formed after the 2007/08 post-election government, Ruto served as Agriculture minister.

But a fallout would soon see Raila, in 2009, as Prime Minister, suspend Ruto from the government. President Mwai Kibaki, however, refused to enforce the move.

On April 21, 2010, Ruto was transferred to the Ministry of Higher Education swapping places with Raila ally, Dr Sally Kosgey.

DP William Ruto. [DPPS]

"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.