Who is William Ruto, the man who could be new president of Kenya?

William Ruto was declared the winner of Kenya’s presidential election by a razor-thin margin, seeing off a challenge from five-time contender Raila Odinga.

William Samoei Arap Ruto who will be the 5th President of Kenya has previously served as Kenya's Deputy President since 2013.

Ruto, a 55-year-old rags-to-riches businessman, saw the election as a war between common "hustlers" and "dynasties" that had dominated Kenya since its independence from Britain in 1963.

In the 2013 presidential election, he was elected Deputy President alongside President Uhuru Kenyatta on the Jubilee Alliance platform.

From 1998 to 2013, Ruto served as a Member of Parliament (MP). From August to December 2002, he was Minister of Home Affairs in the Daniel Arap Moi cabinet.

He then served as Minister of Agriculture in the Mwai Kibaki cabinet from 2008 to 2010, and as Minister of Higher Education from April to October 2010.

Residents in the sweeping red hills near the western Kenyan town of Eldoret recall William Ruto as a barefoot schoolboy who sold chickens at a roadside booth. Even back then, he exhibited a ferocious brilliance, they recalled, as they celebrated his election to the presidency of his nation on Monday with a mixture of joy and disbelief.

Results could be null and void

In Kenya, the presidential election results are expected to be contested in the Supreme Court in the next 21 days.

A run-off may not be a possibility, but a vote recount may be.

If the losing Candidate challenges are successful, Ruto's declaration will be declared NULL and VOID, and a Supreme Court procedure will be begun within 20 to 21 days of the Annulment.

Family

Ruto was born on December 21, 1966 in Sambut village, Kamagut, Uasin Gishu County to Daniel and Sarah Cheruiyot.

Ruto is married to Rachel Ruto and the father of seven children. He is notorious for his enormous riches and has faced several claims of wrongdoing, which he denies.

Educational background

He graduated from the University of Nairobi in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science in botany and zoology. He received an MS in 2011 and a PhD from the University of Nairobi in December 2018.

Religious man

Ruto was an active member of the Christian Union during his undergraduate years.

He always attended church services, giving out large amounts of money as well as start-up equipment to hustlers.

Ruto met President Daniel Arap Moi through his church leadership efforts at the University of Nairobi, who would subsequently expose him to Kenya politics, notably during the 1992 general elections.

(With inputs from agencies)

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