William Samoei Ruto is the fifth President of Kenya, in office since September 2022 after winning the August 2022 election on a United Democratic Alliance ticket. He served as Deputy President from 2013 to 2022 under Uhuru Kenyatta, and before that as Member of Parliament for Eldoret North and as a cabinet minister. He was born in Sambut, Uasin Gishu County, in the Rift Valley, into a modest farming family.

He is known as a former chicken seller who built a business career before rising to the presidency, and he often speaks of the hustler generation of young Kenyans. His public messages focus on unity, jobs and a shared national plan. He holds a PhD in plant ecology from the University of Nairobi, a background he sometimes returns to when talking about farming