A section of Kenyan community in Uganda who don’t agree with Kenya’s Deputy President William S. Ruto are allegedly behind Makerere University students who want to disrupt the groundbreaking ceremony for the William Ruto S. Ruto on African Studies Saturday in the morning.
The Kenyan group alleges that Ruto is corrupt and is not in good books with his boss President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Ruto was among Kenyans indicted by the ICC on allegations of leading crimes against humanity in the 2007-8 general elections in Kenya where over 1000 people lost their lives due to violence.
The goals of the institute are; to draw on the core strengths of diversity of disciplines and experience to develop and refine methodologies for the study of Africa; develop innovative approaches to teaching and learning about Africa; collaborate with similar Institutes in Africa and globally to deepen the understanding of Africa in all its complexity and evolve common perspectives on global issues; strengthen relationships between academic and indigenous intellectuals as the basis for reclaiming indigenous knowledge, and integrate this into local communities.
Others are to establish an environment for flourishing study and debate on African languages, arts, philosophies, social and political systems; enhance and enrich intellectual and cultural life and contribute to the discussion, analysis and resolution of critical developmental challenges facing African Societies through research and extension work.
Who is William S. Ruto
William Kipchirchir Samoei Arap Ruto, on December 21, 1966, is the Deputy President of Kenya since 2013. He served as the Acting President of Kenya between 5 and 8 October 2014 when President Uhuru Kenyatta was at the Hague to answer questions related to political violence in 2007/2008.
He previously served in various ministerial positions, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Higher Education Science and Technology. He was Secretary General of KANU, the former ruling political party, and the MP for Eldoret North Constituency between December 1997 and January 2013.
He won the seat in the 1997 Kenyan election after defeating Reuben Chesire. He was appointed to the position of Assistant Minister in the Office of the President by President Daniel arap Moi in 1998.
He was promoted to be Minister for Home Affairs in August 2002. Ruto also previously served as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional Reform in the 9th Parliament.
On 4 March 2013, he became the first Deputy President of Kenya, when he and Uhuru Kenyatta were declared winners of the hotly contested presidential election. The duo won on a Jubilee Coalition ticket.
Ruto was among the list of people who were indicted to stand trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for their involvement in Kenya’s 2007–08 political violence. However, the ICC case was faced with challenges especially concerning withdrawal of key prosecution witnesses. In April 2016, the International Criminal Court dropped the charges against Ruto.
