President William Ruto granted city status to his hometown of Eldoret, sharing that the honor is especially significant to him, as many of his early personal milestones, like his first job and first salary, occurred there.
Addressing the attendees, President William Ruto who describes himself a true embodiment of rags to riches, fondly recalled how his father bought him his first pair of shoes in Eldoret in 1981, shortly before he began at Wareng High School.
“I have to occasions that are firmly ingrained in my mind. The first is when I came in January 1981 to Wareng High School and my father, Daniel Kipruto, bought me a pair of shoes in the streets of Eldoret and it was my first pair of shoe,” Ruto told the guests.
The Head of State mentioned that shortly after finishing high school, he was employed as a clerk by the late Paul Boit, owner of Kapkong Farm, who paid him a Ksh 300 wage.
“I am also reminded of another occasion when in October 1984, when I worked for the first time as a clerk after Form 4 at Kapkong Farm for the late Paul Boit and he paid me Ksh300,” he narrated.
Although Ksh 300 may seem meager, it was a turning point for the aspiring chicken farmer who would later become Kenya’s fifth president. With that money, he embarked on his first shopping spree in Eldoret Town, buying his first brand-new clothes for Ksh 137.
“It was my first wage and I came to Eldoret Town and I bought myself a pair of jeans worth Ksh137 of my hard-earned wage. It is a moment I remember that it was the first I walked into a shop and buy a brand new pair of jeans,” he added.
Granting Eldoret city status is a deeply personal achievement for him, reflecting on the challenges he faced when he first ran for MP in 1997 with nothing to his name. His rivals exploited his lack of resources to undermine him, making it even more difficult to gain the trust of the constituents.
“Finally, I am reminded because this is my hometown. Just behind here, when I first ran as a member of Parliament, I didn’t have a house and it was a big problem because many people said this man will run away because we do not know where to find him,” he narrated amidst laughs from the crowd.
He was advised to secure a house to bolster his legitimacy, and he followed through by leasing from an athlete, demonstrating his capability to manage constituency affairs effectively.
“My supporters told me, ‘You must get a house.” I got a house belonging to one athlete. I rented the house but my supporters said this man has not only bought the house but together with its dogs. Just to signify how I had the ability to be around , and the rest is history,” he stated.
The Head of State secured the Eldoret North seat on a KANU ticket, serving for a decade until 2007. He then joined the Orange Democratic Party (ODM), where he completed one final term before ascending to the position of Vice President.
