KENYA: Ruto Opens Up on His Rocky Start and Friendship with Late President Moi

President William Ruto reflected on his personal and political journey with the late President Daniel arap Moi, sharing intimate memories of trust, mentorship, and leadership lessons that shaped his career.

Speaking during the launch of retired Cabinet Minister Major (Rtd) Marsden Madoka’s memoir ‘At The Ready’ at State House, Ruto revealed that Moi trusted him deeply during his early years in government – so much so that he gave him a direct telephone line to State House, a privilege reserved for only a few senior officials in the KANU era.

“I became the only Assistant Minister with a hotline to the President,” Ruto said. “That phone had no secretaries; if it rang, you knew it was the President himself calling. He would say, ‘Where are you? Come and do this and that.’”

The President recalled that his early days in politics were anything but easy. Despite being a member of KANU, he initially fell out of favour with the party leadership.

“When I first ran for Parliament, I was not in very good books with the Kanu government,” Ruto said. “Moi himself came to Eldoret and told people to elect those who were known, mentioning the names of my rivals. Then he said there were some ‘characters running around’ whom he didn’t know. I was in that crowd.”

Ruto said those remarks did not discourage him. “I ran anyway and won the nominations against the odds,” he added.

He told the audience that his outspoken nature in Parliament earned him a reputation as a “noisy” legislator, though Moi later came to appreciate his zeal.

“Moi used to say this young man is noisy, but he speaks sense,” Ruto said with a smile.

The Head of State credited Bishop Ezekiel Yego of the Africa Inland Church (AIC) and other elders with helping mend his relationship with Moi.

“They told me, ‘Moi is like your father and you are a Christian, show respect.’ They cornered me, and I had to tone down,” he recalled, drawing laughter from the crowd.

Ruto subsequently became a member of the Cabinet as an Assistant Minister to Marsden Madoka, who was his senior. They both had serious tasks and lighter moments, including laughed-out State House luncheon spats with Moi, he said.

“Marsden didn’t go for lunch; he preferred to nap in his office,” Ruto joked. “He even tried to convince me to join him, but I failed.”

Looking back at their shared experience, Ruto commended both Moi and Madoka for molding his leadership and service principles. “Madoka was my boss and mentor,” he said. “He taught me discipline, patience, and respect. Moi, too, showed me that leadership is not about where you come from but how you serve.”

Ruto lauded Madoka’s memoir as an important historical record of Kenya’s administrative and political evolution.

“At The Ready is a reflection of a generation that served with humility and selflessness,” he said. “Through his story, future generations will understand where we came from and the sacrifices that built this nation.”

The President also used the occasion to challenge today’s leaders to raise the standards of governance and public service.

“We cannot continue to make peace with mediocrity,” he said. “We must raise the bar and move from the ordinary to the extraordinary.”

Source: NairobiWire.com | Read the Full Story…