William Ruto

His Excellency
William Ruto
CGH
Official Potrait, 2022
5th President of Kenya
Incumbent
Assumed office
13 September 2022
Deputy
Preceded byUhuru Kenyatta
11th Deputy President of Kenya
In office
9 April 2013 – 13 September 2022
PresidentUhuru Kenyatta
Preceded byKalonzo Musyoka
Succeeded byRigathi Gachagua
Minister for Higher Education
In office
21 April 2010 – 19 October 2010
PresidentMwai Kibaki
Prime MinisterRaila Odinga
Preceded bySally Kosgei
Succeeded byHellen Jepkemoi Sambili (acting)
16th Minister for Agriculture
In office
17 April 2008 – 21 April 2010
PresidentMwai Kibaki
Prime MinisterRaila Odinga
Preceded byKipruto Arap Kirwa
Succeeded bySally Kosgei
Minister for Home Affairs
In office
30 August 2002 – December 2002
PresidentDaniel arap Moi
Preceded byGeorge Saitoti
Succeeded byMoody Awori
Member of Parliament
for Eldoret North
In office
29 December 1997 – 9 April 2013
Preceded byReuben Chesire
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Personal details
Born
William Kipchirchir Arap Ruto

(1967-01-21) 21 January 1967 (age 57)
Kamagut, Kenya
Political partyUnited Democratic Alliance (2021–present)
Other political
affiliations
Spouse
​
(m. 1991)​
Children7, including Charlene
ResidenceState House
EducationUniversity of Nairobi (BSc, MSc, PhD)
Signature
WebsiteOfficial website

William Kipchirchir Samoei Arap Ruto CGH (born 21 January 1967) is a Kenyan politician who is the fifth and current president of Kenya since 13 September 2022. Prior to becoming president, he served as the first elected deputy president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022.[1][2][3][4] He previously served in three cabinet portfolios as the Minister for Home Affairs, the Minister of Agriculture and as Minister for Higher Education.

Ruto was elected Member of Parliament for Eldoret North constituency from 1997 to 2007 under the KANU, and from 2007 to 2013 through the ODM party. He was the Minister for Home Affairs in the Daniel arap Moi administration from August to December 2002.

Under the Mwai Kibaki administration, he was the Minister for Agriculture from 2008 to 2010 and Minister for Higher Education from April to October 2010. Ruto first contested for the presidency during the 2007 election, but lost to Raila Odinga on the ODM party primaries; together with Musalia Mudavadi, who finished second, he then supported the candidature of Odinga. He again ran for the presidency on the 2013 election, but withdrew his candidature in favour of Uhuru Kenyatta.

He was later nominated to run for the deputy presidency in the 2013 election under the United Republican Party, becoming the running mate of Uhuru Kenyatta from The National Alliance (TNA). He was re-elected to the deputy presidency under the Jubilee Party in the 2017 Kenyan general election. Ruto successfully ran for the presidency in the 2022 election, this time under the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

Amidst a fall-out, Kenyatta supported his opponent Raila Odinga. The election was marred by allegations of electoral fraud by allies of Odinga, although international observers have not corroborated such claims.[5][6]

  1. ^ "Kenya's deputy president Ruto declared election winner". AP NEWS. 15 August 2022. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  2. ^ "The Office Of The Deputy President, Kenya". deputypresident.go.ke. 17 May 2022. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  3. ^ "William Ruto". kenyans.co.ke. 17 May 2022. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Kenya General Election Results (2013)". iebc.or.ke. 17 May 2022. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  5. ^ Wangari, Stephanie (15 August 2022). "Four IEBC Commissioners distance themselves from final stage of presidential poll tallying". Nation. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  6. ^ Mwakideu, Chrispin (13 September 2022). "William Ruto: Kenya's newest president". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 12 February 2023.