William Ruto Sworn in As Kenya’s Fifth President

By Reuters

William Ruto was sworn in as Kenya's fifth president on Tuesday, a week after the Supreme Court upheld an election that dashed the hopes of the nation's most prominent political families and handed power to a man who began his career as a roadside chicken seller.

Ruto, who served as deputy president for the past 10 years, takes over at a time of surging food and fuel prices, high unemployment and rising public debt.

By 5 a.m., Nairobi's 60,000-seat Kasarani Sports Centre was packed with Ruto's supporters resplendent in his party's colors of yellow and green.

The National Police Service had tweeted that the stadium was full by 5 a.m. and asked citizens to stay home, but crowds continued to try to force their way inside. The St John's Ambulance Service said it had taken several injured people to hospital. 

Ruto has been deputy to President Uhuru Kenyatta since 2013, but they fell out after the 2017 election. Kenyatta backed opposition leader Raila Odinga to succeed him in the August election and denounced Ruto as unfit for office.

Kenyatta finally publicly congratulated Ruto on the eve of his inauguration.

"You will be president not just for those who voted for you but for all Kenyans," he said.