A Kisii man has alleged that Deputy President William Ruto reused undergarments for three days during his time with the Youth for Kanu (YK’92) movement in 1992, directly contradicting Ruto’s public narrative about his rise from poverty. The claim, made in a 2019 viral video, emerges as Ruto faces scrutiny over his 2022 presidential campaign rhetoric about combating corruption.
The man, identifying as a former YK’92 associate, described Ruto as living in extreme poverty during the group’s formation in 1992, forcing him to recycle clothing. This account challenges Ruto’s repeated emphasis on integrity as the key to his political success, particularly amid accusations that his anti-corruption efforts serve political interests ahead of the 2022 elections.
The video, which gained traction on social media in 2019, also criticizes former presidential candidate Oscar Sudi for previously labeling the anti-corruption drive a political tactic. No official response from Ruto’s office has been publicly reported. The original report, published in 2019, includes a 2012 copyright notice for the media outlet.
The YK’92 movement, active in the early 1990s, remains a pivotal reference in Kenyan political history. The allegations highlight tensions between Ruto’s self-fashioned image as a self-made leader and the man’s personal account of his early life.
