Samuel Kirwa Kimeto, father of First Lady Rachel Ruto, was one of the most talked-about faces at this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations in Eldoret on October 20. He seldom attends public functions, so his presence stood out at Kipchoge Keino Stadium.
A grey Land Cruiser delivered him to the venue, where a bodyguard waited by the door. Kimeto stepped out in a black suit and cowboy hat, a white shirt and a red tie, with a walking stick in hand.
The announcer introduced him to the crowd, and two women accompanied him to his seat. Despite his years, he took the stadium steps unaided.
The celebrations were presided over by President William Ruto, with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki among the dignitaries.
A man of few public words
Kimeto avoids the spotlight. He has no social media presence, and details of his personal life are scarce. He has three known children: Lydia, Samuel Cyrus and Rachel.
Accounts of the family’s history describe him buying land in Likuyani, Kakamega County, in 1966 after years of labour on a settler’s farm.
The family later settled in Sugoi, Uasin Gishu, in 1985. Rachel’s old primary school teacher remembers him as a disciplined man who served as treasurer of the school board and instilled hard work in his children.
A father-in-law close to home
In 2022, then aged 87, Kimeto told reporters he would gladly lead elders in prayer at State House. He said William Ruto had been consulting him since the 1990s, and that he helped the future president find land near his own home in Sugoi. The two homes are only a few kilometres apart.
His appearance on Mashujaa Day offered Kenyans a rare look at the elder behind the First Lady’s rural Rift Valley roots.