Amazon Quiz: William Ruto has recently been elected as the President of which country?

Ethiopia

Nigeria

Kenya

Ivory Coast

Answer: Kenya

William Samoei Arap Ruto was elected as Kenya’s president in the 2022 presidential elections. This is his second term serving in a senior position of the Kenyan government. He was earlier elected the vice-president of the country in 2013 when he served under President Uhuru Kenyatta. Raila Odinga, whom Ruto defeated to land the presidential post, has filed a case against him alleging that election results have been manipulated. While Ruto managed to win 50.49% of the votes, Odinga received 48.85%.

Ruto has faced a number of land-grabbing and corruption charges throughout his political career. Odinga has also accused Ruto of corruption and has questioned the source of the money he often gives at fundraising events. The International Criminal Court had summoned Ruto along with five other men in December 2010 in connection with the violence that ensued in the 2007-08 Kenyan elections.

The results of the 2022 elections were set to be declared on August 15, 2022, at 3 PM. The declaration was not made on time, and violence erupted at the Bomas of Kenya. Members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had to be escorted away from the location. The reason behind the fiasco was announced the following day when the IEBC announced that the total number of votes cast had exceeded 100% of the Kenyan population.

Ruto belongs to the Kalenjin people of Kenya. He studied zoology at the University of Nairobi, where he served as the Chairman of the choir. Well into his career as Kenya’s vice-president, Ruto earned a PhD from the same university in 2018. He was introduced to politics by former Kenyan president Daniel Arap Moi. In his native village, Ruto owns a chicken farm as a throwback to his younger days as a chicken seller.