William Ruto loves to tell of his humble origins тАФ his barefoot childhood in the Rift Valley; his first pair of shoes at age 15; the time he scraped by selling chickens and ground nuts on the side of a busy highway.
That story is at the heart of Mr. RutoтАЩs electoral pitch to what he calls the тАЬhustler nationтАЭ тАФ hard-working and ambitious young people who, like him once, deserve a better deal. тАЬIf you listen to Joe Biden, heтАЩs speaking the same language,тАЭ Mr. Ruto said in an interview. тАЬHow do we bring the majority to the table, where their talents, energies and ideas are also part of the making of the nation?тАЭ
But itтАЩs not quite that simple. Although Mr. Ruto slams the outgoing government, he has been part of it for the past nine years тАФ as KenyaтАЩs vice president. And his days of penury are far behind: His vast business interests, acquired during his time in politics, include a 2,500-acre farm, a luxury hotel and a giant poultry plant.
These days Mr. Ruto, 55, is more likely to travel by helicopter than in a тАЬmatatu,тАЭ the crowded minibuses used by the average Kenyan тАЬhustler.тАЭ
Contradictions abound on all sides in this mold-breaking election, and Mr. Ruto has brought a hard-charging, upstart energy to the countryтАЩs moribund elite politics.
Even detractors concede that he is charismatic, hard-working and full of new ideas. His promises of тАЬbottom-upтАЭ economics resonate with poor Kenyans who are still reeling from the pandemic and now grappling with soaring food and fuel prices.
And he has promised to sweep away KenyaтАЩs old political dynasties тАФ embodied by his opponent, Raila Odinga, 77, and his political nemesis (and former boss), the departing president, Uhuru Kenyatta.
тАЬThere is no doubt that William RutoтАЩs presidential campaign has wrong-footed KenyaтАЩs political establishment,тАЭ David Ndii, an influential economist who is backing Mr. Ruto, wrote on the eve of TuesdayтАЩs vote. тАЬThey did not see a mere hustler leading a reimagining of our politics.тАЭ
Still, Mr. RutoтАЩs enmity with Mr. Kenyatta, a singular focus of his most vehement attacks on the campaign trail, has the feel of a vendetta. Critics point to that as an example of a ruthless style, if Mr. Ruto came to power, that could turn into authoritarian rule.
Mr. Ruto dismisses those concerns, as well as the controversy over his indictment by the International Criminal Court, in 2011, on charges of stoking election violence four years earlier. The case collapsed in 2016 after KenyaтАЩs government stopped cooperating with prosecutors.
тАЬThe whole thing was a political charade,тАЭ Mr. Ruto said.
His biggest challenge now might be apathy. A voter-registration drive earlier this year had a disappointing turnout, especially among young Kenyans who are at the core of Mr. RutoтАЩs campaign.
So if he is to emerge victorious, analysts say, he needs his supporters to do more than hustle. They need to get out and vote.
Abdi Latif Dahir contributed reporting.
