The ascension of William Ruto as Kenya’s fifth President in 2022 marked a historic milestone: it was the first time the country was led by a doctoral degree holder.
Adding to this unique chapter in the nation’s political history is the presence of another academic giant—Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, a professor. This is the first time Kenya’s leadership has been steered by such a combination: two PhD holders at the helm of power.
Prof Kindiki’s appointment follows in the footsteps of Prof George Saitoti, who served as Vice President under President Daniel Moi. Both men are deceased.
President Uhuru Kenyatta congratulates William Ruto after he was conferred with at PhD in plant ecology at the University of Nairobi on December 21, 2018.
But the tandem of a doctorate-holding President and professor Deputy President is unprecedented.
Dr Ruto took the reins in a country whose history had largely been shaped by leaders without doctoral degrees.
Kenya’s first president, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was a colonial electricity meter reader before he led the nation. His successor, Daniel Moi, was a trained teacher. The late Mwai Kibaki, who succeeded Moi, was an economist while Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, Ruto’s predecessor, holds a degree in political science, while his deputy then, William Ruto, had a bachelor’s degree in Botany and Zoology and a master’s in Plant Ecology.
In 2018, Dr Ruto earned his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Plant Ecology from the University of Nairobi, after six years of study.
Dr Vijoo Rattansi confers a PhD on Mr Ruto at the University of Nairobi on December 21, 2018.
His thesis titled: Influence of human activities on land use changes on environmental quality of riparian ecosystems: A case study of Saiwa Swamp watershed, Western Kenya, earned him the doctorate title conferred by the University Senate chaired by Vice Chancellor Prof Peter Mbithi.
When Dr Ruto became President, his then deputy Mr Rigathi Gachagua, who holds a bachelor’s degree, had worked as a District Officer. The position is now known as Assistant County Commissioner.
Mr Gachagua often praised his boss, calling him “well-schooled” and a “big mentor”.
With two PhD holders running the Executive arm of government, expectations were high. Many residents of Mt Kenya and Rift Valley had hoped that, with a “doctor” at State House, Kenya’s many socio-economic ills would finally be addressed.
President William Ruto hands over the Constitution of Kenya to Deputy President Kithure Kindiki following Kindiki's swearing-in at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi on November 1, 2024.
However, the reality has proved frustrating for many Kenyans.
“It’s not that Dr Ruto has not done anything unique, but perhaps he rose to power with a sense of intellectual superiority, believing he was ‘brighter than Kenya and all Kenyans,” political scientist Festus Wangwe said.
Mr Wangwe acknowledged that Dr Ruto had “beautiful ideas, inspiring speeches and promises that gave his supporters hope of a long-awaited ‘Messiah.’” But, he added that while education can breed pride, “there was a disconnect between his academic solutions and the practical realities on the ground".
Mr Charles Mwangi from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology said Dr Ruto inherited a country saddled with debt and a bitter political landscape.
“The issues were not problems that needed more education to fix; they needed political solutions—servicing debts and managing an opposition that alleged electoral theft and insisted on power sharing through protests," he said.
President William Ruto and Deputy President Prof Kindiki Kithure at State House, Nairobi on April 29, 2025.
Speaking in Nyandarua last month Prof Kindiki said: “We are not fools. We have solutions, and we will deliver because we have the plan.”
Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi praised the DP for stabilising the presidency and the country.
But Mr Gachagua hit back at the DP during an event in Murang'a County, calling him "a professor of yes sir".
As the country marches towards the 2027 polls, the question remains: "Can the doctor and professor truly deliver the transformation Kenyans crave?"
