William Ruto was born in
December 1966 in Uasin Gishu
County of present day Kenya. He
went to Sambut Primary school
before proceeding to Wareng
secondary school then Kapsabet
Boys High school. Later, he joined
university of Nairobi where he
graduated with a first class honors
degree in Zoology and Botany.
William Ruto is a renowned
political activist. His political
career began way back in 1992,
when he together with other
upcoming politicians rallied
support for the then ruling
president Moi. They pioneered a
movement called ‘youth for KANU’.
William Ruto Biography
and Personality Profile
1. William Ruto was once a
teacher
Even though he is the current
deputy president of Kenya, William
Ruto has come a long way. Before
joining politics, he worked as a
teacher at Sirgoi secondary school
and Kamagut secondary school. As
a teacher, his students will always
remember him as an astute
individual who desired the best for
everyone.
2. He is married and has
six children
William Ruto is married to Rachel
Ruto. He met his wife at the
university where she was training a
teacher. They are blessed with six
children.
3. He was the best student
in his class
Ruto was ranked the best student in
his class at the University of
Nairobi. As a result he was awarded
a scholarship to pursue a masters
degree in the same university. At
the university, Rutoh was a great
team leader who related well with
his fellow students. He was a great
choirmaster and evangelist.
4. He is one of the
international criminal
court suspects
In 2008, Kenya witnessed a massive
unrest. The unrests were attributed
to election rigging. As a team
leader of ODM, William Ruto was
among the individuals who
championed the unfolding of the
truth that the then president Mwai
kibaki had lost the elections. Ruto
together with several other leaders
who were allied to ODM proposed
that President Mwai Kibaki should
step down in favor of ODM’s Raila
Odinga . When the unrests and
violence subsided, a commission of
inquiry was formed to investigate
the root causes of the violence. The
commission, Waki Commision,
named twenty individuals and it is
from the list that the retired ICC
prosecutor, Moreno Ocampo picked
the six suspects namely;
· Uhuru Kenyatta
(the current
president of Kenya)
· William Ruto
· Francis Muthaura
· Henry Kosgei
· Major General
Hussein Ali
· Joshua Sang
Ruto was accused of crimes against
humanity.
5. He rose from a humble
background
There is no doubt that William Ruto
is on of the richest individuals in
Kenya. Unlike several rich Kenyans
who inherited their wealth from
parents, Ruto walked his way
towards gaining the wealth. His
parents were not rich. Reliable
sources from his father’s home in
Eldoret reveal that he used to do
odd jobs such as selling chicken
and groundnuts along the Nakuru –
Eldoret road in order to supplement
his parents.
6. He is a Christian
Ruto is a charismatic politician,
Besides, he is a strong believer and
a member of the African inland
church. His religious life is what
contributed to him joining politics.
He was the head of choir at a local
church. Ruto’s relationship with the
longest serving president of Kenya,
Daniel Moi, happened rather by
accident . Moi had attended a
church service and he got
intetested in Ruto’s personality
when Ruto said a moving prayer.
7. He is a serious family
man
William Ruto is a no nonsense man.
He takes his family matters
seriously. He is one of those
individuals who enjoy a good
relationship with his wife and
children.
8. He is the deputy
president
Kenya got its new constitution
where the vice president has been
replaced by the deputy president.
William Ruto will be remembered as
the first deputy president under
Kenya’s new constitution.
9. He is ambitious
William Ruto has held several
government offices. He has been a
minister and a leader of the
parliamentary select committee. As
the minister for agriculture, Ruto
initiated a lot of reforms that
assisted in improving the status of
agriculture in Kenya. He was also
the minister for higher education
under president Kibaki’s regime.
10. He is a controversial
individual
Despite his achievements and
success, Ruto has been mentioned
as one of the participants in various
corrupt actions in Kenya. In fact, he
was removed as the minister for
agriculture as a result of the maize
scandal. However, he was later
cleared of the charges.
