President William Ruto beat all odds to win the August 9 polls beating his arch-rival, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
In a year that was dominated by politics, Kenyans got to know more about the Head of State through his speech, actions, and testimonials by his close friends and associates.
Here are 10 things Kenyans learned about Ruto in 2022;
1. Unpredictable
Since his inauguration to office, Ruto has always kept his cards close to his chest. On September 13, 2022, during his swearing-in ceremony, the Head of State named his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta as the regional peace envoy.
The move came as a surprise to many given the frosty relationship the duo shared in the lead-up to the August 9 polls.
Additionally, in recent weeks, he wrote to Parliament proposing the creation of the office of the Leader of Opposition which would give his rival more powers in his oversight role. This has drawn both criticism and praise in equal measure as many opined that Ruto could be extending an olive branch to Raila.
2. Rewards Loyalty
During the campaign period, the president kept a small circle of loyal troops around him. Drawn from different political backgrounds, Ruto's allies had one thing in common; their spirited belief in the hustler narrative.
In addition, they accused the previous administration of devising a political witch-hunt to curtail their campaign bid.
Equally, in reward for their loyalty, the troops- who stuck with the President- landed top government jobs.
3. Time Keeper
Ruto's Cabinet has in the past described him as a man who keeps time.
At a past interview on Citizen TV's JKL on November 16, Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale intimated that the Commander-in-chief followed his appointment time schedule to a tee.
"Ruto is a wonderful man. He is a workaholic. If he says you meet at 10.00 am, then that is it. If you are late, then you are in trouble.
"The cabinet was a cabinet meeting at 10.00 am and he was there one minute earlier," he stated at the time.
4. Master strategist
Despite being pitted to lose against Raila - who had the backing of Uhuru - Ruto ultimately clinched the presidency in the August 9 polls.
His win was credited to his strategies during the campaigns with a particular focus on his backing from Mt Kenya. A spot check on Ruto's campaign trail revealed that he visited the vote-rich region every fortnight.
Another campaign strategy that worked for him was the hustler narrative that shaped his manifesto. In addition, Ruto created a defiant perception for exuding confidence to deal with the 'deep state'.
5. Bold
In his inaugural speech on September 13, the President delivered a hard-hitting speech giving various directives on some of the issues that were not addressed by the previous administration.
Some of the notable directives were on the appointment of six judges whose names were rejected by his predecessor, the cost of living, and the differences among the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners.
"I understand the deep fissures and low morale in the public service. The intimidation that was visited by IEBC commissioners and staff during the last election was also meted out to various other agencies and staff in the Public Service.
"This is now in the past. I assure all public officers that my administration will respect their professional service, and no public servant, even chiefs and their assistants, will be required to run political errands for any political party or formation," he stated.
6. Tough Negotiator
Ruto's colleagues have described him as a tough negotiator who will push to have his agenda sail through during bilateral talks.
“President Ruto is an excellent salesman, all morning, he has been trying to sell me Kenyan tea, coffee, and avocado. As you see me, I’m full of Kenyan tea.
“President Ruto is action-oriented and we have ministers on both sides who are determined to improve the relationship between South Africa and Kenya," South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa stated during his visit to Kenya on November 10.
7. Hands-on
Despite having a team that can handle problems when they arise, the President has been hailed as a hands-on person who would get his hand dirty to solve a problem.
"I was reminded of the last day of the campaign period. We had a rally in Narok, Mai Mahiu, and Nyayo Stadium. Then we had a problem in Kiambu. It was 5.30 pm and the campaigns were to close at 6.00 pm.
"We had to go to Kiambu because we had a problem. All indications showed (opinion polls) that we were not going to win the Kiambu seat," Ruto explained why he ran to take a flight.
8. Promise keeper
While on the campaign trail, Ruto signed pacts with various leaders and groups as he solicited the numbers for his presidency.
Some of the promises fulfilled include the appointment of judges, reduction of fertilizer prices, and the creation of the Prime Cabinet Secretary post that was promised to incumbent Musalia Mudavadi among others.
However, he has been criticized for failing to achieve a 50-50 cabinet gender balance as he promised during the campaigns.
9. Emotional
While addressing a rally in Vihiga in July, he lost his temper and scolded a supporter who was attending his rally after an altercation between his allies.
"Wewe kijana wacha kunijibu, unanijibu kama nani? Kama umeleta kisirani kwa hii mkutano utoke. Huwezi kuja hapa kuharibu mkutano. (Loosely translated to "Young man, stop addressing me. You are addressing me as who? If you want to cause trouble in this meeting you better leave. You can't come here and disrupt our meeting," he stated.
10. Prayerful
Before starting his Cabinet meeting, the head of state leads in prayers. This has cascaded down to his official meetings which commence with prayers.
However, some critics have poked holes at this, claiming that his administration is essentially leaving out other religions.
"I think the Ruto administration is overdoing religion. While we acknowledge the hand of God in bringing us this far, the presidency must observe Article 27 of the constitution,” renowned gospel artist Reuben Kigame stated.
