William Ruto, the current president of Kenya, has had a political career that has been marked by his underdog status. Despite being often underestimated by his rivals, Ruto has managed to make smart moves at critical moments and pick allies that have allowed him to rise to the top. Ruto’s political rise began when he abandoned his Master of Science projects and walked into the KICC offices of Kanu women and youth affairs. Ruto worked closely with Kalonzo Musyoka, then a minister and Kanu national organizing secretary, under whose docket the women and youth affairs directorate was domiciled. Ruto’s decision to switch loyalty to Raila Odinga in the 2007 elections landed him a post as Minister for Agriculture in 2008, from where he was able to consolidate his position as the undisputed Kalenjin kingpin. With ICC cases hanging over their heads, Ruto paired up with Uhuru Kenyatta to form the formidable Jubilee Alliance. In 2022, Ruto beat the odds stacked against him, including state machinery. However, he now faces the challenge of dealing with the Movement for Defence of Democracy (MDD), which has planned a grand protest in Nairobi today.
President Ruto’s Political Journey: From Office Assistant to Kenya Kwanza Administration
President William Ruto’s political journey began in 1991 when he abandoned his Master of Science projects to work as an office assistant at Kanu women and youth affairs. There, he worked closely with Kalonzo Musyoka, who was then a minister and Kanu national organizing secretary. Through his position, Ruto gained firsthand experience in political intrigues that seem to have served him well in his rise to the top.
Despite being a junior youth winger, Ruto was not a key driver for the Youth For Kanu (YK’92). Nevertheless, he has turned out to be the most consistent and successful of the lot, according to Dr. Julia Ojiambo, then Women and Youth Affairs director at Kanu.
Today, Ruto faces protests from a group composed of leaders, including Kalonzo Musyoka, who insist that his Kenya Kwanza administration is illegitimate and should be ousted by mass protests.
Ruto’s ability to pick allies to work with and make smart moves at critical moments has been evident throughout his political career. Despite his humble beginnings, Ruto has become an energetic political worker and a successful politician.
As Robert Frost said, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the less travelled by, and that made all the difference.” Ruto’s choice to abandon his Master of Science projects and work as an office assistant has made all the difference in his journey to become the President of Kenya.
How William Ruto Rose to Political Power: An Underestimated Underdog
William Ruto’s rise to the top of Kenyan politics has been defined by his ability to overcome the underdog label placed upon him by his rivals. Despite being deemed less qualified and less prestigious than his opponents, Ruto has used this perception to his advantage, either through clever tactics or by exploiting his opponents’ cruel flaw of assumption.
The latest contest for supremacy and legitimacy in Ruto’s political career is the Movement for Defence of Democracy (MDD), a group composed of opposition activists who do not hold elective office. Ruto, on the other hand, wields executive power as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
Ruto’s political career began in 2004 when he publicly declared “Over our dead bodies!” to an application made by a Nairobi constitutional and human rights lawyer to compel former President Daniel Moi to testify in person at the Goldenberg Commission hearings at KICC. This defiance transformed Ruto into an instant recognisable hero to the Kalenjin nation, which was still smarting from the 2002 election loss.
Ruto’s first real political battle was the fight for the Kanu machine in 2005. Despite being eclipsed in resources and stature by top Kanu princes, Ruto managed to sneak his own list of Rift Valley delegates into Kasarani gymnasium to elect him secretary general. This placed Ruto and Uhuru Kenyatta firmly in charge of the powerful Kanu machine, resources, and networks, which they would exploit to give ODM victory in the November 2005 referendum campaigns.
Although Raila Odinga provided the energy and street democratic credentials to the Orange Movement in the 2005 referendum, the Orange (NO) campaign rode largely on the Kanu organisational capacity and nationwide networks. Buoyed by the victory at the referendum, Ruto declared that he would run for the presidency in 2007, which many dismissed as a youthful adrenalin-loaded ego trip.
Ruto’s ability to overcome the underdog label and make smart moves at critical moments has made him an energetic political worker and a successful politician. While Ruto’s rise to the top has been marked by political duels and contests for supremacy and legitimacy, his unwavering determination and ability to exploit his opponents’ assumptions have been the driving force behind his political success.
William Ruto: From Disdain to the Undisputed Kalenjin Kingpin
Despite being dismissed as punching above his weight by veteran Rift Valley and Kalenjin politician, Ezekiel Barng’etuny, William Ruto rose to become the undisputed Kalenjin kingpin. Ruto’s disdain for the elderly and wealthy power men in Kalenjin land seemed to have convinced him that he would never rise above Eldoret North MP. Consequently, he switched loyalty to Raila Odinga in the 2007 elections, landing him a post as Minister for Agriculture in 2008.
The position of kingpin made Ruto the target of intense courting by former President Mwai Kibaki and his handlers, which firmly placed him inside the Kibaki succession inner lane. This involved pairing him with Uhuru Kenyatta to form the formidable Jubilee Alliance.
Despite facing ICC cases and state machinery, Ruto beat the odds stacked against him in the 2022 elections. However, he now faces the challenge of dealing with the Movement for Defence of Democracy (MDD), which has planned a grand protest in Nairobi today.
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