For two years, President Ruto has been fighting one fire after another

President William Ruto commissioned the Lake Basin Development Authority Rice Mill Project in Kibos, Kisumu County. [PCS]

He paused frequently as he recited his oath of office, taking in the magnitude of his new role and revelling in the cheers of thousands of Kenyans witnessing the historic day.

Two years later, under perhaps more scrutiny than any of his predecessors, President William Ruto would likely give much to relive that euphoric moment.

Back then, there were no obstacles in his path. He issued promises and directives with the full confidence of a Head of State enjoying the highest legitimacy.

Now, two years into his presidency, Ruto has been forced to cede part of his government to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, trading Cabinet positions for a portion of that once-abundant legitimacy.

Throughout his presidency, Ruto has been besieged by challenges both inside and outside the courts, facing opposition to his controversial policies and managing strikes across multiple sectors.

On Wednesday, the world’s attention turned to Kenya, which was paralysed by a nationwide strike by airport workers. On a day that should have marked his two-year anniversary as Head of State, Ruto was out of the country on a visit to Germany, perhaps finding a brief respite from the turmoil back home.

His week began with a strike by university students protesting his higher education funding model, which many feel was rushed in its implementation. The president left Kenya knowing that university lecturers had threatened to strike over a pending pay deal. The strike is likely imminent, further paralysing higher education across the country.

Shortly before airport workers called off their strike, the University Academic Staff Union issued a strike notice. The airport staff opposed the controversial takeover of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Indian firm Adani Holdings, a deal Ruto has been under pressure to defend. The government's persistence in pushing the deal through has left many feeling that its hands are tied. Fresh dissent may loom, as Adani is involved in other key sectors such as energy and health.

Ruto has already dealt with the effects of strikes in the health sector, with boycotts by doctors, nurses, and clinical officers. Teachers in secondary schools also recently downed their tools, demanding better pay, only for their national union to accept a deal they had previously rejected, much to the frustration of their members.

In the midst of these challenges, the Finance Act of 2023 is under a fierce legal challenge in court. The president is banking on it to raise revenue, but Raila’s Azimio la Umoja coalition, whose loyalty Ruto had hoped to secure through a broad-based deal, is leading the assault at the Supreme Court.

Ruto turned to the 2023 law after being forced to withdraw the widely unpopular Finance Bill 2024, whose passage through Parliament ignited nationwide protests led by young people and brought his administration to its knees.

The protests by Generation Z and Millennials have been, without question, Ruto’s greatest challenge, overshadowing the anti-tax demonstrations led by the opposition last year. Initially defiant, Ruto pushed through unpopular tax hikes. It seemed for a moment that he had overcome public pressure until June 25, when youths stormed Parliament in protest of the Finance Bill.

Ruto’s first response was to warn the Gen Z protestors, but he quickly backtracked, calling for dialogue. He also dismissed his entire Cabinet, except for Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, as a gesture of goodwill before reappointing many of the same officials.

At the same time, Ruto faced public criticism from Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who openly confronted him. The tension between the two appears to stem from Gachagua’s defence of the interests of the Mt Kenya region, a stance he is unlikely to abandon.