William Ruto, the ‘hustler’ candidate set to become Kenya’s 5th President

GOOBJOOG NEWS|NAIROBI: Kenya’s outgoing deputy President William Ruto who fell out with his boss President Uhuru Kenyatta and went ahead to run one of the most robust campaigns while still in government is poised to become the country’s fifth President according to official results from the electoral body and tallies by different media houses.

With less than 10 per cent of the votes yet to be verified, Ruto has comfortably crossed the 50%+1 mark while his erstwhile opponent and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga trails at about 48%.

The Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is expected to announce the final results any time from now as party luminaries throng the Bomas auditorium in Nairobi where the national tallying centre is situated.

Ruto ran what was dubbed a ‘hustler’ narrative hinged on a grassroots economic model christened ‘Bottom Up’ strategy in an apparent offensive against the establishment candidate Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta whom the Ruto side described as dynasties. Both Odinga and Uhuru are sons of the first Vice President and President respectively.

Despite the backing of Kenyatta and the government machinery, Odinga failed to secure much-needed support from the vote-rich Mt. Kenya and Rift Valley regions predominantly occupied by the Kikuyu and Kalenjin ethnic tribes.