Deputy President William Samoei Ruto no doubt is arguably the most discussed politician in Kenya recently especially due to his interest in Uhuru Kenyatta’s 2022 successions.
In fact, some if not all local dailies carry banner headlines bearing his name five times or more in a week. Whether that is the dailies’ opinion or opinion sponsored by William Ruto’s political rivals, one thing remains; They cant sell without Ruto!
The Deputy President has been facing challenges from left, center and right! He has faced “resistance” and malice from his political rivals and “political friends.” This is despite the political smiles and pleasantries that the citizenry is treated to in public.
Ruto has managed to stand the test of time simply for one reason, despite all criticisms towards him, He has really played cool and loyal to his master Uhuru Kenyatta. One thing that the opposition and ODM in particular were waiting for is for the Deputy President to get provoked and start retaliating towards the President but Ruto cleverly decided to remain loyal and obedient to the presidency.
This alone has handed Ruto a major score an he has proved to his critics that he can indeed stand the pressure and handle it well without over reacting to it.
Ruto is an aggressive politician. He stops at nothing in achieving what he wants. Each political move he makes is a well calculated one. His sharp focus approach to issues makes pro status quo individuals shudder! Ruto is one leader who would pursue and implement Government policies thoroughly and in earnest.
They say the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. William Ruto comprehends this too well. His strong faith and unwavering believe in almighty God have seen him rise from humble beginnings to presidency levels…and presidential material level.
That’s not an average achievement. It requires God’s favor, grace and blessings to attain such trajectory. His wife has been very supportive in matters faith. His wife Rachel Ruto has also publicly been his spiritual pillar. This is the bigger reason why the Ruto’s star continues to shine.
Owing to his humble beginnings and the fact that majority of Kenyans live below the poverty line, majority of citizenry is able to identify itself with such a leader.
It’s due to his rise from poverty to his current status that he is popularly referred to as hustler! On various occasions, the Deputy President has been seen freely interacting and sharing with Kenyans from very humble backgrounds. Individuals opposed to his style believe in the class system which is a major cause of marginalisation and further impoverishment of the less fortunate.
His political mastery and grasp of real issues have also enabled him to engage Kenyans convincingly. His oratory prowess (a combination of substance and humor) have endeared him to many. Not many of his rivals can gather similar talent. The Deputy President is not a man of mean academic achievement; he is almost completing his PhD, Anthropology. This supports the adage, “A leader should be a reader.”
Conclusion
If man is a political animal then Deputy President William Samoei Ruto is a Political Lion. He’s the undisputed political guru of our time. He has metamorphosised from a political mobilizer (Y2K) to top national leadership successfully over the last two decades thanks to his determination, discipline and focus.
Like him or hate him Uliam is destined for political greatness. Some of his outstanding traits have seen him “overtake” political oldies and newbies to be the most likely candidate to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta are;