DP’s daughter June Ruto says ‘I do’ in elite ceremony: Photos

A superb botanical garden, Duchenne smiles, an elite guest composition, an elated daughter, an anxious bridegroom, Kenya’s Deputy President and his better half are what it took to make June Ruto’s big-day worth remembering.

The venue of the ceremony – a wedding uniting the firstborn daughter of Kenya’s second-most-powerful man and a Nigerian law literatus –  was a private property on Koitobos Road in Karen, Nairobi.

June Ruto's wedding was held on Thursday, May 27, 2021. [Vivianne Wandera, Standard]

Dressed in a white strapless gown, June Ruto was a stunner. Her husband-to-be, Alexander Ezenagu, looked dapper in a double-breasted fitting navy-blue suit.

The ceremony was attended by DP William Ruto's close friends. [Vivianne Wandera, Standard]

June’s father, William Ruto, turned heads in a black classic fit suit, complemented with a black bowtie and a fedora hat. On his feet, were black classic oxford shoes, completing the perfect gentleman look.

The bride’s mother, Rachel Ruto, wore a light pink tiered dress complemented with a fascination hat.

The venue was neatly arranged with white folding chairs spread out 1.5 meters apart from the other in strict compliance with Covid-19 safety rules.

Guests were settled by 11:30am. [Vivianne Wandera, Standard]

The surrounding features were leafy trees with colourful flowers, though green was the predominant colour of the environment.

Guests streamed in sequentially minutes to 11:30am Thursday, with politicians allied to Deputy President William Ruto showing up with gaiety demeanours. After all, it was their big man’s happy moment!

Only invited guests attended the function. [Vivianne Wandera, Standard]

Among those who attended the ceremony are Amani National Congress Party Leader Musalia Mudavadi, Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, Soy MP Caleb Kositany, Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot, Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa, Ruto’s personal assistant Farouk Kibet, Susan Kihika’s husband Sam Mburu, Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi and Nandi Governor Stephen Sang.

June Ruto’s friends, mostly young women, also showed up dressed to turn heads.

ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi was in attendance. [Vivianne Wandera, Standard]

Ezenagu’s people, though few, cut figures of gentleman ready to be new members of the Ruto family.

The best man, Ezenagu’s kin, was dressed in a black classic suit.

The crowd-pullers, June Ruto and Alexander Ezenagu, exchanged wedding vows minutes past 1pm, solemnising a union, which has its genesis from an international conference held outside Kenya that was attended by the two.

June Ruto and her husband, a Nigerian national, met outside Kenya. [Vivianne Wandera, Standard]

As soon as both June and Alexander said “yes, I do” to each other, several excitement screams and a clatter of smartphone shutter sounds followed like a round of applause. The two were now formally married.

The Standard understands the groom and his team spent Wednesday night at DP William Ruto’s Weston Hotel ahead of the Thursday wedding.

The Ruto family welcomed a new member to the group, June's husband. [Vivianne Wandera, Standard]

The couple’s wedding comes nearly three weeks after Ruto –  on May 8 – hosted Alexander’s family at his Karen residence, where the Nigerian sought the DP’s permission to marry June.

The new addition to Ruto’s family is an assistant law professor at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a public university in Qatar’s capital, Doha.

The wedding was held at a private property in Karen, Nairobi. [Vivianne Wandera, Standard]

The institution, which has been in existence since 2010, describes Ezenagu as an international tax expert, who specialises in international tax law, transfer pricing, tax planning, investment advisory and commercial law advisory and practice.

The Nigerian national holds a Ph.D. in international tax law from McGill University in Canada.

June Ruto is now Mrs Alexander Ezenagu. [Vivianne Wandera, Standard]

Ezenagu is also a graduate of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, where he obtained a Master of Laws Degree.

He holds an undergraduate degree in Law from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria.

DP William Ruto and his wife Rachel were happy to hand over their daughter to her husband. [Vivianne Wandera, Standard]

Prior to travelling abroad to further his education, Ezenagu was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

His wife, June Ruto, studied International Relations at the University of Queensland in Australia, and also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Diplomacy from the United States International University (USIU) in Nairobi.

And the two, June and Alexander, were declared husband and wife. [Vivianne Wandera, Standard]