William Ruto is the president of Kenya, a wealthy businessman elected by a thin margin in 2022 on a promise to champion Kenya's poor and take on its traditional elite. He had spent the previous nine years as deputy president under Uhuru Kenyatta. He is a born-again Christian and a protégé of Daniel arap Moi, Kenya's strongman from 1978 to 2002. Since taking office he has spoken out forcefully against gay rights.
In 2024 he faced "Gen Z" protests against a planned tax rise; at least 63 people were killed. He backed down and scrapped the tax increase but responded to continued demonstrations with censorship and force. On June 25th 2025 police opened fire on protesters, killing 19 and injuring hundreds; the government banned live television coverage until a court intervened.
Mr Ruto has revived the exploitation of ethnic divisions to stay in power, misleadingly painting anti-government activity as a largely Kikuyu affair. He has weakened Kenya's democratic institutions: the judiciary has been undermined by his government's frequent flouting of court orders. His backing for the Rapid Support Forces, a Sudanese paramilitary group accused of genocide, has hurt Kenya's regional standing, and his government's alleged meddling in the process to appoint Kenya's electoral board has further dented his democratic credibility.
Mr Ruto is said to have a personal bond with Yoweri Museveni, Uganda's president since 1986. Kenya's security forces have been accused of colluding with Uganda and Tanzania to crush dissent, including through the rendition of Kizza Besigye, a Ugandan opposition leader, from Kenya to a military jail in Uganda in November 2024. Mr Ruto has described carbon credits as Kenya's "next significant export".
He has argued that "Kenya's workforce is our greatest resource" and promoted the export of Kenyan workers as a deliberate policy. His government has aimed to send 1m Kenyans abroad per year for three years—roughly equivalent to the number of new annual entrants to the Kenyan workforce. In 2024 Kenya struck a tentative migration deal with Germany under which Kenyans would fill job shortages, with Germany paying for vocational courses and language training. Some young Kenyans have criticised the plan as a distraction from the government's failure to create enough jobs at home.
Booze is the answer. I don't remember the question.