President Elect William Ruto's Maiden Speech After Being Declared Winner

Following the announcement of William Ruto as the winner of Kenya’s presidential election, he made a commitment to lead an inclusive and transparent administration.

After Wafula Chebukati of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) made his announcement on Monday, Ruto addressed the Bomas of Kenya. He stated that his administration will collaborate with the opposition to oversee the Executive.

He described his campaign for president as being mostly supported by prayers, and he was grateful to Kenyans for voting for him as well as to the political leaders who accompanied him on the voyage.

The leader of the Kenya Kwanza alliance also stated that the State House battle was mostly based on issues rather than tribal preferences, and he tipped his cap to his primary rival Raila Odinga for waging an effective campaign.

“I know that there were predictions that I wouldn’t get to the ballot, there were predictions that we wouldn’t get here, but because there’s a God in heaven we’re here. And I want to say and confess that without God, we wouldn’t have been here,” he said.

“This election was much about the issues than the ethnic configurations that have always informed our elections. I want to thank my worthy competitor, Raila Odinga, for a campaign that we all dwelled on issues and tried to sell an agenda to the people of Kenya. I want to promise that I will work with all elected leaders, and all leaders in Kenya, so that we can fashion a country that leaves nobody behind.”

Ruto added: “The people of Kenya have assigned us responsibilities. There will be those of us who will be in the Executive, and there will be those of us who will oversee what we will do in the Executive. Both responsibilities, in government and in the opposition, are important for the people of Kenya. I will run a transparent, open, democratic government. And I will work with the opposition to the extent that they provide oversight over my administration.”

He also singled out IEBC CEO Chebukati as the “hero” of the election, praising him for his “bravery in the face of adversity.”

As he offered an olive branch to them in order to ensure effective service delivery to Kenyans, Ruto also tried to convince his rivals and political leaders who had opposed him that all was now “water under the bridge.”

“The people of Kenya have won because we have raised the political bar. The people of Kenya are the biggest winners. The hero of this election is the IEBC, led by Wafula Chebukati. I say this with conviction, that the IEBC amazed all of us. With the results in the public portal, all the servers were open, all you needed is a simple calculator and you would have the results,” he said.

“I want to congratulate IEBC for raising the bar. I want to say, without any fear of contradiction, that one Wafula Chebukati is our hero; soft spoken, but firm. I want to tell you, Mr. Chairman, that without informing any one of us, you put all the results from all the polling stations, on a public portal where any Kenyan could access. That became the game changer in this election.”

Ruto acknowledged President Uhuru Kenyatta’s efforts to transform the country during his ten-year reign, adding that he will seek to finish on what they started together.

“I will build on the foundation that President Kenyatta and I put together, and take this country to the next level. I know many are wondering, especially those who have done many things against us, I want to tell them that they have nothing to fear. There is no room for vengeance, there is no room for looking back. Our country is at a stage where we need all hands on deck to move it forward, we do not have the luxury to move back, point fingers, apportion blame…we must close ranks and work together for a functioning democratic, prosperous Kenya,” he said.

“I want to confess that I have been prayed into victory. It is not our effort, and my team knows. We were working against many odds, but I must confess that it is God who brought us this victory. My people have paid huge sacrifices for us to get here. I want to promise them that their sacrifices will not be in vain; my team and I will work very hard to make sure that we don’t let the sacrifices made by many Kenyans down.”