Young_Turk
Elder Lister
Life Lessons from William Ruto by Abraham Mutwol
Here is what we could learn from DP William Ruto according to Abraham Mutwol
William as a youth never wasted time idling at the market center like his peers at the time.
He sold chickens and groundnuts on the streets of Eldoret. He strongly embraced the mantra ‘Kazi ni Kazi’, never turning down earning a living because it was beneath him.
You create your own circumstance.
You cannot go on blaming others for your own misfortune. Not the government, not your religious leaders. Not your parents.
The buck stops with you.
William Ruto was born into unfavorable circumstances. His dream was to become the President of Kenya. He started to take actionable steps towards getting into elected office.
At 31 years of age, he ran for elective office against a seasoned, well connected politician late Hon. Reuben Chesire.
Such an audacious thing to do during the Moi era that the late president remarked “and who is his father?”
Crony democracy was the only way to get into a position of authority during the Moi days and this was quite the surprise to see the son of a peasant jump in and hope for a favorable outcome.
Mr Ruto succeeded Mr Chesire as MP for Eldoret North.
How did William Ruto side step all major Kalenjin players and become the de facto leader of the region after the resignation of the former President Moi?
Gideon Moi, Nicholas Biwot, Henry Kosgei, Linah Jebii Kilimo, Sally Kosgey, Nick Salat, the late Kipkalya Kones.
William Ruto’s hustler narrative, a defender of the poor, did not start recently. This is something he has been cultivating for quite some time.
His first major opportunity came in 2004 with the Mau evictions. He campaigned strongly for the plight of the evicted.
His drive and charisma won the hearts and minds of many of the evictees, most of whom were from the Rift Valley who in turn viewed him as an emerging voice that would adequately shoulder and protect the interest of his people.
And that's how an MP from Eldoret North won the ultimate prize.
As MP, Ruto went ahead and aligned himself with a group of rebel MP’s including former Agriculture Minister Kipruto Kirwa. Ruto was a schemer. He fiercely criticized the KANU regime and when the time came to mend fences, he gladly did so, earning himself an appointment as assistant minister of internal affairs making history as the first assistant minister in independent Kenya to attend a cabinet meeting.
He quickly gained favor with the former President Moi, leapfrogging all others who believed it their time.
After the defeat of KANU in 2002, it was Ruto who was beside Uhuru conceding to Kibaki.
After the 2008 PEV, Ruto alongside Uhuru led nationwide rallies to garner public sympathies. This continued campaign to garner public opinion is what made them viable candidates, alongside Uhuru to become President and Deputy President.
William Ruto from the time he stepped into politics has always had one goal in mind. Becoming the president of the republic of Kenya.
His continued march towards this goal began in the year 1997 after he won his seat as MP of Eldoret North.
He joined and left alliances in order to attain several seats in Ministries of Home Affairs, Agriculture and Higher Education all the way to becoming the Deputy President of Kenya.
He is now a few steps away from securing the top seat in the country and achieving his dreams.
You have to be consistent in order to get where you want to be!
Ruto is a man who has taken many risks throughout his political career.
He risked running against an establishment leader to become the MP of Eldoret North.
He risked joining the anti Moi sycophants in parliament in order to gain visibility with Moi. He gained the seat of assistant Minister of Internal Affairs.
During the Kibaki days, he risked supporting and vehemently opposing the Mau evictions in order to gain the position of Rift Valley lynchpin.
He declared himself a kalenjin elder without Moi’s blessing. Moi, who had controlled the region for over 50 years, had now been fazed out by the new guard.
He joined the NO campaign against the sitting government on the draft constitution and somehow managed to win.
His public profile led him to gain the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Higher Education dockets.
After the 2007/2008 PEV, he risked going to the Hague first and fighting against his case.
He relentlessly led a home campaign in order to garner public support and sympathy for the ICC changing the national consensus from thinking the ICC was the only court where they would get justice to staging an anti ICC/ anti imperialist campaign that eventually culminated into the UhuRuto duo winning the election in 2012.
Ruto kept his eyes on the prize and kept pressing forward.
Ruto, out of all his competitors has the strongest personal brand there is.
His signature haircut, Kenya baseball cap,brown leather jacket and now his Hustler movement is an attesting to the same.
He sells himself as an everyday man. A rags to riches story. Mingling with the masses.
He has attended every religious function under the sun and has said all the right things to the people he meets along the way during his campaign.
He also labeled his would be opposition as the opposite.
This smart move enamours him to the people and makes his opposition seem like out-of-touch sellouts.
He has set the agenda. And everyone else is just playing catch up.
Ruto and Raila have the most recognizable styles there is. Ask anyone to imitate any one of them and you’ll find that there will be many impressionists who nail his body language , movements/gestures and tonal intonation and syntax.
This is because they have spent considerable time cultivating this style. Many hours of crowd testing while crisscrossing the country in order to find a style that resonates with their base.
ASk the average Kenyan what these top presidential candidates stand for, not many could give you an answer.
Their own party members couldn't articulate what it is that they want to do for the people.
But many people know of their style.
Lesson here is to cultivate a style that will supersede you in the long run.
Staying humble and keeping in touch with the events on the ground keeps you grounded.
It stops you from getting conceited and comfortable in your new circumstances
It reminds you why you started down this path of success that you are trying to attain.
Ruto, be it for publicity or as in reality likes to intermingle with the masses. This is crucial for his brand. Keeps him motivated and aware of what's happening on the ground.
This grassroots approach is what enamored him nation wide and its why his competitors are trailing behind.
Keep grounded my friends.
Congratulations. You have managed to grow your business and now you have hired some help, all of a sudden, you feel great. Everyone pats your back and sings your praises.
You ease up and kick back. I’ve made it.
A few months later, you are crowded by problems. How did this happen?
It happened because you failed to stay hands on throughout.
A leader who stays engaged with their employees. Whois there as long as everyone else. Who actually does the job themselves so they understand what really goes on.
William Ruto as Minister of Agriculture often visited farms personally. He drove the tractors. Kept in constant contact with the farmers and held discussions that helped in the formulation of his policies.
As the minister for Higher Education, he addressed the two year wait for freshmen joining college. This wait unfairly held back students based on their economic situation.
Ruto delivers. He delivers elections. He served as Minister for Agriculture and Higher Education. He is most likely to deliver in the next presidential election.
In the same vein, strive for success and show tangible results of your labors.
This is how you cultivate trust and respect which feeds back into continually success.
Stand out. Dare to be different. If you relegate yourself to doing what everyone else around is doing or what has been done for decades before, then you are doomed to getting similar results.
William Ruto refused to be a cookie cutter politician. And that's why he keeps leading from the front and while everyone else plays catch up.
Setting a fixed target to strive for and working diligently towards the goal is harder than it sounds.
Along the way we may be tempted to put on pause, change course or even completely diverge from our goal.
There is nothing wrong with that.
The only downside of this is you won't achieve real success. Only moderate victories.
A jack of all trade but a master of none.
William Ruto always knew he wanted to be president. If along the way he decided to be a motivational speaker, no doubt he would have done well. But he would not have been as successful a politician as he is today.
It's easier to hate, criticize and point out flaws in others than it is to build something new.
It's easier to hate than to create.
Don't give stock to detractors.
William Ruto has been written off more times than I can list here. But a " charismatic, articulate, hardworking, rambunctious and ambitious politician " as Miguna put it has not let it get to him and I do not foresee it ever doing so.
Here is what we could learn from DP William Ruto according to Abraham Mutwol
- Poverty is a state of mind
William as a youth never wasted time idling at the market center like his peers at the time.
He sold chickens and groundnuts on the streets of Eldoret. He strongly embraced the mantra ‘Kazi ni Kazi’, never turning down earning a living because it was beneath him.
- Success is about creating your own circumstances
You create your own circumstance.
You cannot go on blaming others for your own misfortune. Not the government, not your religious leaders. Not your parents.
The buck stops with you.
William Ruto was born into unfavorable circumstances. His dream was to become the President of Kenya. He started to take actionable steps towards getting into elected office.
At 31 years of age, he ran for elective office against a seasoned, well connected politician late Hon. Reuben Chesire.
Such an audacious thing to do during the Moi era that the late president remarked “and who is his father?”
Crony democracy was the only way to get into a position of authority during the Moi days and this was quite the surprise to see the son of a peasant jump in and hope for a favorable outcome.
Mr Ruto succeeded Mr Chesire as MP for Eldoret North.
- Seize every opportunity that comes your way
How did William Ruto side step all major Kalenjin players and become the de facto leader of the region after the resignation of the former President Moi?
Gideon Moi, Nicholas Biwot, Henry Kosgei, Linah Jebii Kilimo, Sally Kosgey, Nick Salat, the late Kipkalya Kones.
William Ruto’s hustler narrative, a defender of the poor, did not start recently. This is something he has been cultivating for quite some time.
His first major opportunity came in 2004 with the Mau evictions. He campaigned strongly for the plight of the evicted.
His drive and charisma won the hearts and minds of many of the evictees, most of whom were from the Rift Valley who in turn viewed him as an emerging voice that would adequately shoulder and protect the interest of his people.
And that's how an MP from Eldoret North won the ultimate prize.
- Courage against all odds
As MP, Ruto went ahead and aligned himself with a group of rebel MP’s including former Agriculture Minister Kipruto Kirwa. Ruto was a schemer. He fiercely criticized the KANU regime and when the time came to mend fences, he gladly did so, earning himself an appointment as assistant minister of internal affairs making history as the first assistant minister in independent Kenya to attend a cabinet meeting.
He quickly gained favor with the former President Moi, leapfrogging all others who believed it their time.
After the defeat of KANU in 2002, it was Ruto who was beside Uhuru conceding to Kibaki.
After the 2008 PEV, Ruto alongside Uhuru led nationwide rallies to garner public sympathies. This continued campaign to garner public opinion is what made them viable candidates, alongside Uhuru to become President and Deputy President.
- Consistency is the name of the game
William Ruto from the time he stepped into politics has always had one goal in mind. Becoming the president of the republic of Kenya.
His continued march towards this goal began in the year 1997 after he won his seat as MP of Eldoret North.
He joined and left alliances in order to attain several seats in Ministries of Home Affairs, Agriculture and Higher Education all the way to becoming the Deputy President of Kenya.
He is now a few steps away from securing the top seat in the country and achieving his dreams.
You have to be consistent in order to get where you want to be!
- If you risk nothing, you become nothing
Ruto is a man who has taken many risks throughout his political career.
He risked running against an establishment leader to become the MP of Eldoret North.
He risked joining the anti Moi sycophants in parliament in order to gain visibility with Moi. He gained the seat of assistant Minister of Internal Affairs.
During the Kibaki days, he risked supporting and vehemently opposing the Mau evictions in order to gain the position of Rift Valley lynchpin.
He declared himself a kalenjin elder without Moi’s blessing. Moi, who had controlled the region for over 50 years, had now been fazed out by the new guard.
He joined the NO campaign against the sitting government on the draft constitution and somehow managed to win.
His public profile led him to gain the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Higher Education dockets.
After the 2007/2008 PEV, he risked going to the Hague first and fighting against his case.
He relentlessly led a home campaign in order to garner public support and sympathy for the ICC changing the national consensus from thinking the ICC was the only court where they would get justice to staging an anti ICC/ anti imperialist campaign that eventually culminated into the UhuRuto duo winning the election in 2012.
Ruto kept his eyes on the prize and kept pressing forward.
- The Power of Personal Branding: Cultivate an appealing personal brand
Ruto, out of all his competitors has the strongest personal brand there is.
His signature haircut, Kenya baseball cap,brown leather jacket and now his Hustler movement is an attesting to the same.
He sells himself as an everyday man. A rags to riches story. Mingling with the masses.
He has attended every religious function under the sun and has said all the right things to the people he meets along the way during his campaign.
He also labeled his would be opposition as the opposite.
This smart move enamours him to the people and makes his opposition seem like out-of-touch sellouts.
He has set the agenda. And everyone else is just playing catch up.
- Create a Style
Ruto and Raila have the most recognizable styles there is. Ask anyone to imitate any one of them and you’ll find that there will be many impressionists who nail his body language , movements/gestures and tonal intonation and syntax.
This is because they have spent considerable time cultivating this style. Many hours of crowd testing while crisscrossing the country in order to find a style that resonates with their base.
ASk the average Kenyan what these top presidential candidates stand for, not many could give you an answer.
Their own party members couldn't articulate what it is that they want to do for the people.
But many people know of their style.
Lesson here is to cultivate a style that will supersede you in the long run.
- Be a Down-to-earth person
Staying humble and keeping in touch with the events on the ground keeps you grounded.
It stops you from getting conceited and comfortable in your new circumstances
It reminds you why you started down this path of success that you are trying to attain.
Ruto, be it for publicity or as in reality likes to intermingle with the masses. This is crucial for his brand. Keeps him motivated and aware of what's happening on the ground.
This grassroots approach is what enamored him nation wide and its why his competitors are trailing behind.
Keep grounded my friends.
- Be a hands on leader
Congratulations. You have managed to grow your business and now you have hired some help, all of a sudden, you feel great. Everyone pats your back and sings your praises.
You ease up and kick back. I’ve made it.
A few months later, you are crowded by problems. How did this happen?
It happened because you failed to stay hands on throughout.
A leader who stays engaged with their employees. Whois there as long as everyone else. Who actually does the job themselves so they understand what really goes on.
William Ruto as Minister of Agriculture often visited farms personally. He drove the tractors. Kept in constant contact with the farmers and held discussions that helped in the formulation of his policies.
As the minister for Higher Education, he addressed the two year wait for freshmen joining college. This wait unfairly held back students based on their economic situation.
- Be Results Oriented
Ruto delivers. He delivers elections. He served as Minister for Agriculture and Higher Education. He is most likely to deliver in the next presidential election.
In the same vein, strive for success and show tangible results of your labors.
This is how you cultivate trust and respect which feeds back into continually success.
- Don’t be a conformist
Stand out. Dare to be different. If you relegate yourself to doing what everyone else around is doing or what has been done for decades before, then you are doomed to getting similar results.
William Ruto refused to be a cookie cutter politician. And that's why he keeps leading from the front and while everyone else plays catch up.
- Be single minded in the pursuit of your dreams.
Setting a fixed target to strive for and working diligently towards the goal is harder than it sounds.
Along the way we may be tempted to put on pause, change course or even completely diverge from our goal.
There is nothing wrong with that.
The only downside of this is you won't achieve real success. Only moderate victories.
A jack of all trade but a master of none.
William Ruto always knew he wanted to be president. If along the way he decided to be a motivational speaker, no doubt he would have done well. But he would not have been as successful a politician as he is today.
- Ignore negative comments
It's easier to hate, criticize and point out flaws in others than it is to build something new.
It's easier to hate than to create.
Don't give stock to detractors.
William Ruto has been written off more times than I can list here. But a " charismatic, articulate, hardworking, rambunctious and ambitious politician " as Miguna put it has not let it get to him and I do not foresee it ever doing so.
