top 5 promises President Ruto William made to the Kenyan people

Amidst a chaotic election, William Ruto was declared the winner on the 15th of August, 2022. A debacle ensued, but that did not deter democracy from prevailing, as William Ruto was sworn in today as the 11th President of Kenya.

This would mean that majority of the voters in Kenya, 50.5% to be precise, bought into his opinion on the issues and his propositions to address them.

It is common practice for presidential candidates to pick the most glaring problems with the economy and promise to fix them. In Africa, it's hard to go wrong with issues tightly tied to poverty. Things like education, food security, infrastructure, security, and general standard of living, are hot-button topics that typically get everyone's attention.

However, there are unique things that could be said, nuances voters clinch to, that make a candidate the right person for them. Below is a list of the five promises President-elect William Ruto promised to fulfill as the Head of State.

Empower hustlers: One key message William Ruto upheld during his campaign was his relation to people at a grassroots level. He promised to focus economic relief programs on the lower class and make the common person a major priority in his administration. Having come from humble beginnings, Ruto described himself as a hustler and promised to empower Kenyans at the bottom, knowing firsthand what it's like to be at that level.

Defend freedom of worship: During a speech at the Kasarani Sports Centre gymnasium, Ruto promised to make the choice of religion free, stating that his administration would protect and defend the freedom of worship. He promised to lift the existing moratorium on registering new religious organizations.

Review the formula for sharing resources: For most nations, allocating the country's revenue and national budget always presents some issues. Ruto promised to review the current formula Kenya used to share its natural resources between its two levels of government. The revision would be based on the population of regional constituencies. This promise came after he announced plans to strengthen the inter-governmental institution by ensuring that government officials are held to a higher standard of responsibility.

The well-being of public officers: In line with his vision to focus on the disenfranchised in Kenya, Ruto promised to implement a contributory benevolent fund for families of fallen or terminally ill soldiers, including mental illness. He pledged to design affordable housing mortgages for public officials, particularly the police. He also mentioned that there would be insurance coverage for fallen police officers, the likes afforded to the military. Finally, he promised to reform the security sector so that public officers would see no reason to demand bribes.

Public debt: During his campaign, Ruto mentioned the huge debt his country incurred under the previous administrations. This was a key subject for the newly elected president, who promised to slash down the country's debt. He used the analogy that if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. He noted that under his administration, Kenya would reduce its borrowing and save a larger percentage of its GDP. Kenya currently saves 7% of its GDP; Ruto promised to pump those numbers up in comparison to China, which saves 57% of its GDP.