William Samoei Ruto profile

He is the current vice President.

Biodata

Born: 24 December 1953 (64 years)

Parents: Mzee Daniel Cheruiyot and Sarah Cheruiyot

Spouse: Mrs Rachael Chebet

Sibling: Paulo Martim Ruto

Education

Mr. Ruto holds a Bachelor of Science in Zoology (1990) and a Master of Science (2011) in Botany both from the University of Nairobi.

Political life

He is considered a self-made politician who at some point sold peanuts and eggs along the Eldoret highway to help support his family. He hails from the Kalenjin tribe in the Rift Valley of Kenya.

In 1992, Mr. Ruto got into politics as the Organising Secretary of Youth for the Kenya African National Union. This was a political outfit (Youth for Kanu '92 (YK92) which successfully campaigned for the re-election of former President Daniel Arap Moi in 1992.

Between 1997 and 2013, Ruto served as Member of Parliament for Eldoret North Constituency.

He was a key pillar in the re-election of President Daniel Moi and Uhuru Kenyatta’s bid to lead the Kenya African National Union (KANU) in 2002.

In 2006, Ruto declared his ambition to run for the presidency for the 2007 general elections, but his KANU party turned him down. He consequently resigned from his post as party secretary general and sought the nomination of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), which he lost to Raila Amolo Odinga.

After the chaotic polls in 2007, the formed Grand Coalition government handed Mr Ruto the post of Minister for Agriculture.

On 21 April 2010, Ruto was transferred from the Ministry of Agriculture and posted to the Higher Education Ministry, swapping posts with Sally Kosgei.

On 24 August 2011, William Ruto was relieved of his ministerial duties and remained a member of parliament. He at this point joined Uhuru Kenyatta to form the Jubilee Alliance for the 2013 presidential election.

After the duo won the presidential elections, Ruto became the Deputy President to President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta.

On 6 October 2014 Ruto was appointed and served shortly as the acting president of Kenya by President Uhuru Kenyatta following Kenyatta’s summons to appear before the ICC.

He has been accused of mega corruption scandals including the maize importation saga while he was the Minister of Agriculture and speculated land grabbing, the latest being a playground for a school at the heart of Nairobi City.

2007/2008 post-election violence

Historically flawed 2007 presidential elections provoked the Post-Election Violence (PEV) in which over 1200 people died and hundreds of thousands displaced.

Ruto is accused of crimes against humanity of murder, deportation or forcible transfer of population and persecution in Turbo (31 December 2007); Eldoret Area (1 January 2008 - 4 January 2008); Kapsabet Town (30 December 2007 - 16 January 2008) and; Nandi Hills Town (30 December 2007 - 2 January 2008).

The ICC, pointing at lack of good will by the Government of Kenya and witness manipulation, vindicated Ruto of the accusations and his co-accused radio journalist Joshua Arap Sang.

Also read: Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka profile.