If you’re looking at a map of East Africa and wondering who’s calling the shots in Nairobi right now, the answer is William Samoei Ruto.
He’s the fifth President of the Republic of Kenya. Honestly, his rise to power is the kind of stuff they make movies about. People here call him "The Hustler," a nickname he wears like a badge of honor because he literally started out selling chickens by the roadside in Uasin Gishu. No silver spoon. No dynasty. Just a guy who outworked everyone else to land in State House.
But being the boss isn't all photo ops and motorcades. As of January 2026, Ruto is navigating some seriously choppy waters. From a massive political fallout with his former deputy to a "watershed" economic plan for the year, there’s a lot more to the story than just a name on a ballot.
Who is the president in Kenya right now?
William Ruto took the oath of office on September 13, 2022. He won a razor-thin election against the veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, who—in a weird twist of fate—was actually being backed by the outgoing president, Uhuru Kenyatta.
Think about that for a second. Ruto was the Deputy President at the time, but he was essentially running as the underdog against the very government he was technically part of. He framed the whole thing as "Hustlers vs. Dynasties," and it worked.
The Basics on William Samoei Ruto
- Born: December 21, 1966. He’s 59 now.
- Political Party: United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
- Education: He’s a bit of a nerd, in a good way. He holds a Ph.D. in Plant Ecology from the University of Nairobi. How many world leaders do you know who can actually explain the science behind a wetland?
- Family: Married to Rachel Ruto. They have seven children.
The 2026 Vibe: Why this year is different
Ruto has basically staked his entire presidency on 2026. In his recent New Year’s address from Eldoret, he called it a "watershed year." Basically, he's saying the "stabilization" phase—which involves a lot of painful taxes and belt-tightening—is over. Now, he wants to pivot to full-scale growth.
It’s an ambitious play. He’s talking about halving the poverty rate and cutting unemployment by 50%. Bold? Definitely. Risky? Absolutely. To do this, his administration is leaning heavily on the Social Health Authority (SHA), which replaced the old NHIF. Over 29 million Kenyans are now registered. The idea is simple: nobody should go broke because they got sick. We've seen stories like Christine Awino, a widow from Kisumu, who had a 250,000-shilling cancer treatment fully covered by SHA. Those are the wins Ruto is banking on.
The Big Projects on the 2026 To-Do List:
- SGR Extension: Pushing the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha through Kisumu to Malaba.
- Affordable Housing: You’ve probably seen the construction sites everywhere. Ruto claims this has already created half a million jobs for "hustlers."
- JKIA Upgrade: A modern airport terminal to make sure Nairobi stays the hub of the region.
- Talanta Sports City: Getting ready for AFCON 2027.
The Drama: A Presidency of Realignments
You can’t talk about who is the president in Kenya without mentioning the political soap opera. Kenyan politics is famous for being fluid. Basically, "no permanent enemies."
Remember Rigathi Gachagua? He was Ruto’s right-hand man and Deputy President until a massive falling out led to his impeachment and replacement by Kithure Kindiki. Now, Gachagua is leading a group called the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), and he hasn't been shy about criticizing his former boss.
But here’s the kicker: Ruto is now cozying up to his old rival, Raila Odinga’s ODM party. There are serious talks about a UDA-ODM coalition for the 2027 elections. If you told someone this four years ago, they’d think you were crazy. But that's Kenya for you.
What Most People Get Wrong
A lot of folks think the president has absolute power, but the 2010 Constitution changed the game. Ruto has to deal with a very loud Parliament and a Judiciary that isn't afraid to say "no."
For instance, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and various activists are currently challenging a 209-billion-shilling health data deal with the US. The courts are a real check on power here. Also, while Ruto is pushing the "First World" dream, the cost of living remains a massive headache for the average person in the street. You’ll hear people complaining about the "Zakayo" taxes—a nickname given to him (after the biblical tax collector Zacchaeus) when he introduced new levies.
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What’s Next if You’re Following Kenyan Politics?
If you’re keeping tabs on the presidency, watch these three things over the next few months:
- The SGR Funding: Keep an eye on how the government finances the Kisumu extension without blowing the debt ceiling.
- Coalition Building: See if the UDA-ODM deal actually sticks. It would completely rewrite the map for 2027.
- The "Hustler Fund" Evolution: This was Ruto’s flagship micro-loan project. Its success (or failure) in 2026 will be a huge factor in his re-election campaign.
Actionable Insights:
If you are doing business or traveling in Kenya, stay updated through the Kenya Gazette for official policy shifts and follow local outlets like the Daily Nation or The Standard. The political temperature usually rises about 18 months before an election, which means things will start getting very loud by late 2026. For now, William Ruto remains firmly in the driver's seat, steering a very complex, high-stakes "Bottom-Up" economic experiment.