Post of 17 August 2022
William Ruto, a former street chicken hawker who became one of the Kenya’s richest man defeated Raila Odinga, son of the prominent leader who fought for independence from Britain in 1963.
About 14 million Kenyan voters went to the polls on 9th August to elect President, Deputy President, Members of Parliament (MP) and 47 provincial Governors. against a backdrop of soaring food prices, poverty, and high public debts.
Currently, Ruto is Deputy President in the government of President Uhuru Kenyatta, son of a former freedom fighter and first President Jomo Kenyatta.
Odinga’s main campaign issue was Judicial reforms. Odinga also pledged free education, national health service and a social-security system for the poor. Odinga trained as medical Engineer in East Germany in the Soviet era.
The younger and poorer voters favoured William Ruto due to 37% unemployment, highest level since Independence, dysfunctional labour market etc.
After winning the election, Ruto said in this election political parties raised the bar of social issues. He said “this election was about unemployment, debt issues than the “ethnic” configuration that has been always in our previous election. Millions of Kenyans refused to be boxed into tribal cocoons.”
Ruto said “he wants to promise that he will work with all elected leaders, there is no room for vengeance, we must close ranks and work together.”
#Note: This election in Kenya will decide the fate of East Africa’s strongest economy and fate of the rest of East African nations like Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, and others.
I am happy and hopeful that East African and Sahil countries like, Mali, Niger, Chad are changing very fast and coming out of their colonial past. The French Army is now out from Mali after decades of fighting against the so-called Islamist/Jihadist.
