Daughter of Kenyan President William Ruto, Charlene Ruto has sparked a flurry of online reactions across the country.
Charlene was among thousands attending a mass prayer led by American preacher Benny Hinn in Nairobi over the weekend.
The meeting had in attendance President Ruto, the First Lady, as well as Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his wife, Dorcas.
During the prayer, as Benny Hinn invited those with prayer requests to come forward, Charlene stood up and shared her desire for prayers regarding her calling to serve young people.
Moved by her sincerity, Benny Hinn prayed for her, specifically asking God to send a husband who would support her in her mission.
This prayer for a husband ignited a conversation online, with some offering criticism, others proposing marriage, and some showing support for Charlene’s request.
Kenya’sPresident William Ruto has denied the existence of the “Office of the First Daughter,” a title under which his daughter Charlene has held several high-profile events and meetings.
In Kenyan law, no such office exists.
On Wednesday, President Ruto denied the existence of such an office, according to BBC News.
“Leave my daughter Charlene alone, you know these are kids, they’re just being children, you know very well that there is no such office…. she is just being the daughter of William Ruto and sometimes she doesn’t know the divide between the president and the father,” Mr Ruto told journalists at State House, Nairobi.
The activities of the president’s daughter had prompted questions over whether she was spending taxpayers’ money.
In December 2022, she denied that taxpayers’ money was being spent by the so-called office.
Charlene has faced a backlash on Twitter for laying claim to such an office. The criticism was heightened when she introduced her delegation to Tanzania as members of staff at the Office of the First Daughter.
In a press statement issued in December 2022, Charlene said she referred to the entity handling her diary as Office of the First Daughter in a private capacity, adding that it is neither constitutional nor funded by the public.
“The Office of the First Daughter is a private entity. It is neither a constitutional office nor is it being funded by Kenyan taxpayers. It runs to purely facilitate the activities and any programs by Ms. Charlene Ruto,” she said.
“The Office of the First Daughter has at all times acted in good faith to ensure that theKenyan youth have a voice and get access to opportunities to enable sustainable livelihoods.”
“Through its independent structure and facilitators, the office has engaged various players across Kenya and beyond in line with some of its objectives of championing youth-based agendas and climate change advocacy,” Charlene added.
The second child of Kenyan President William Ruto, Charlene Ruto, has defended her comments on the existence of the office of the first daughter.
Kenyan law does not recognise the office of first daughter.
In a statement, Ms Ruto says the office is not a government department but is a “private entity”.
“It is neither a constitutional office nor being funded by Kenyan taxpayers. The office runs to purely facilitate the activities of and any programs being run by CharleneRuto,” the statement said
It follows criticism over what some saw as a misuse of taxpayers’ money.
Ms Ruto has been regularly meeting leaders across the country and attending international forums meeting foreign dignitaries since her father became president.
Kenyans have are expressed shock online at the apparent existence of an office of the first daughter connected to the second-born child of President William Ruto.
Charlene Ruto is seen addressing a crowd in a video that has gone viral online while speaking at a summit in Tanzania. She introduces her “team from Kenya,” which includes her adviser and another person who serves as the “head of trade and investments at the office of the first daughter.”
The audience seems to applaud and laugh aloud in response.
“I don’t get what is funny,” Ms Ruto responds as she attempts to continue with the introductions.
Kenyan law does not provide for an office of the first daughter and there has not been any public announcement of the introduction of such an office.
Kenyans online have been criticising what some see as a misuse of taxpayers’ money.
“Charlene Ruto introducing her team from the office of the first daughter who are paid with taxpayers money despite being an illegal office,” a Kenyan on Twitter says.
Another asks how the office was established and shares the video:
Social embed from twitter
When and how was the office of the first daughter established? What is it’s mandate? How are the staff paid? Under which budget? https://t.co/WiVvnfvgYE
Ms Ruto has been regularly meeting leaders across the country and attending international forums meeting foreign dignitaries since her father became president.
She has been among the most trending topics online on Wednesday.
She has sparked online debates in the past amid her many political engagements – and has been nicknamed Quickmart Ivanka on Twitter, a mockery of her similarities with Ivanka Trump, the daughter of former US president Donald Trump.
