When the school bell rings for break time, 10-year-old William Ruto braces himself.<\/p>\n
The taunts usually begin before he reaches the playground.<\/p>\n
“Ruto Must Go.”<\/p>\n
“Wantam.”<\/p>\n
The chants echo from groups of laughing children, some barely old enough to understand the politics behind the words they repeat. For William, however, their meaning is painfully clear.<\/p>\n
“They tell me they don’t want Ruto,” his mother, Naomi Diana, said in an interview. “Then they laugh because that is his name.”<\/p>\n
Some afternoons, the boy returns home in tears. Other days, he locks himself indoors and refuses to talk about school.<\/p>\n
Recently, he made a request that left his mother heartbroken.<\/p>\n
“He told me, ‘Mum, please change my name or take me to another school,'” she said.<\/p>\n
William was born in 2022, at a moment of optimism for millions of Kenyans.<\/p>\n
That year, voters elected William Ruto as the country’s fifth president after a fiercely contested election campaign built around promises of economic transformation and empowerment of ordinary citizens. Supporters embraced his “hustler” narrative, seeing in him a leader who understood the struggles of working-class Kenyans.<\/p>\n
Like many parents inspired by political moments, Naomi named her newborn son after the president-elect in 2022.<\/p>\n
“It was a name I chose with pride,” she recalled. “I never imagined it would become a burden.”<\/p>\n
But four years later, the political mood in Kenya has changed dramatically.<\/p>\n
The administration has faced mounting criticism over the high cost of living, new taxes, unemployment and economic hardship. Human rights organisations and opposition leaders have also raised concerns over alleged abductions of government critics and the handling of anti-government demonstrations. The government has repeatedly denied involvement in unlawful abductions and defended its policies as necessary to stabilise the economy and fund development.<\/p>\n
In marketplaces, matatus, university campuses and social media platforms, frustration has increasingly found expression in a simple slogan: “Wantam” \u2014 shorthand for “one term.”<\/p>\n
For critics, the phrase reflects disappointment with a presidency many once viewed with hope. For supporters, it is merely political rhetoric from opponents seeking to unseat the government.<\/p>\n
For a young boy carrying the President’s name, however, the slogan has become something far more personal.<\/p>\n
His classmates may not fully understand debates about taxation, public debt, corruption allegations or governance. Yet the language of politics has filtered into their playground conversations.<\/p>\n
And William has become the target.<\/p>\n
“I need security for myself and my son,” Naomi said. “I am surprised that it feels like a crime to name your child Ruto.”<\/p>\n
Despite everything, she insists she will not change the name.<\/p>\n
“I chose it because I loved it and because I admired the man. That has not changed.”<\/p>\n
The issue has now been reported to school authorities, and Naomi hopes intervention from teachers and parents will help end the bullying.<\/p>\n
Education experts warn that persistent ridicule can have lasting consequences on a child’s emotional development, self-esteem and academic performance. Children who experience bullying often withdraw socially, lose confidence and develop anxiety about attending school.<\/p>\n
For William, the conflict dominating Kenya’s political landscape remains distant and confusing. He is too young to vote, too young to understand election manifestos and too young to follow parliamentary debates.<\/p>\n
What he does understand is that every morning he must walk into a classroom where his name has become a joke.<\/p>\n
And every evening he returns home asking the same question.<\/p>\n
Why are people angry at him for a name he never chose?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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