What is Charlene Ruto’s role exactly?

Piece by: NABILA HATIMY

05 December 2022

• Some of these politicians' kids feel like the backseat is not for them.

• They want to be heard and seen as individuals. That is all well and good, but a boundary has to be established.

Exactly two years ago, I wrote about politicians' kids involving themselves in political affairs. At the time, Ngina Kenyatta had given a lecture, I mean speech, on ways to accelerate youth employment in Africa. The backlash was not unwarranted.

I discussed the impending effects of them taking a public stance on matters of governance. “Children of politicians should recede to the shadows where they belong, but if they choose to take a stand publicly, then they should be ready to deal with the consequences.”

However, some of these politicians' kids feel like the backseat is not for them.

They want to take action. They want to be heard and seen as individuals. That is all well and good, but a boundary has to be established.

Are you a private citizen or do you work for the government?

A question many have been asking about Charlene Ruto. Since Ruto’s government came into power, Charlene Ruto has trended on Twitter more times than the first lady or the President himself. Charlelene Ruto has paid visits to several governors and even had an unofficial state visit to Morocco!

Unlike her older siblings, who prefer to stay focused on their work in the background, Charlene seems to thrive under the spotlight.

Personally, I find her to be the quintessential middle child, born in the wrong order but desperate to be seen and heard unlike the firstborn.

Her agenda is clearly seen through her active social media posts no matter the backlash received.

This weekend, Ruto’s secondborn daughter is trending for the wrong reasons.

While Charlene believes posting about her ‘work’ will give people a good perception of her, many are asking the same question: “In what capacity?”

What is Charlene’s role in this government? Nobody knows. Why isn't anyone in government clarifying the President’s daughter’s role in an official capacity?

She is continuously engaged in political affairs without an official role, a little like Ivanka Trump during the Trump presidency in America. Nobody knew what Ivanka’s role in government was, she was just everywhere!

The similarities have caused netizens to nickname Charlene ‘Quickmart Ivanka’.

In this day and age, I can't say I wouldn’t mind if I saw a President’s kid working for him or her. Nepotism is rampant everywhere; who wouldn't want to take advantage of their relative’s good fortune? Most of us would do the same if we were in that position.

The only issue is we need a clear established role. One that best occupies that person’s talents and skills. We need to be clear on her job description, where her authority starts and ends. If she meets with government officials internally as well as internationally, then we need to know that the trips and meetings fall under her docket. She needs a clearly defined role that will make her accountable for everything she does.

In the game of politics, you can’t have your cake and eat it. All the elected and nominated officials have specific duties that they are answerable for. If Charlene Ruto is in desperate need to represent her country, then let her do so in an official capacity. She must also be held accountable for her role just like any other person would be. She should also be prepared to face the backlash when things don't go her way.