RUTO SHRUGS OFF "WORST PRESIDENT" LABEL AFTER BEING CORNERED BY CNN

President William Ruto found himself on the defensive during a hard-hitting interview with CNN’s Richard Quest on Quest Means Business, aired September 25, 2025. He watered down the sharp questions on governance, democracy, and his public image — including the biting description from some critics of him being “the worst president.”

The Kenyan Head of State, who was in New York for the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) did not flinch when Quest asked how it felt to carry such a tag. Measured in tone, he brushed it off as part of the noise that comes with leadership in a politically vibrant nation.

He argued that online chatter cannot distract him from his mandate. “There are all manner of things … in social media,” Ruto said, stressing that leaders must stay focused. “As a leader, one must keep the focus. The numbers are speaking for themselves; the transformation is real.”

When pressed on whether Kenya remains genuinely democratic, Ruto doubled down. “Kenya, you know, is a robustly democratic country, and it is the only place in our corner where people demonstrate, people express themselves freely and everything in between …” he said, framing protests and dissent as part of the Kenyan experience.

He repeated that demonstrations are not only allowed but are an expression of liberty: “Kenya is a robustly democratic country and protests are part of our democracy. The freedom of people to associate and to choose what to do, and that is perfectly in order.”

At the same time, he acknowledged that some protests had been marred by violence, with “criminal gangs” infiltrating demonstrations and even burning parliament. He maintained that state power is checked: “Any excesses that may have occurred, there is an independent policing authority that investigates and takes those who have — may have overstepped their mandate into account.”

Beyond the democracy debate, Ruto was in New York to pursue Kenya’s global agenda at the UNGA. He has been lobbying for trade opportunities, including an extension of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which grants African exports duty-free access to the U.S. market. He also used the global stage to pitch Kenya as a hub for investment and as a partner committed to open engagement with the world.

For Ruto, the CNN grilling highlighted the contradictions he faces abroad and at home: mounting criticism of his leadership on one hand, and his insistence on measurable progress on the other. By his account, stabilizing inflation, strengthening the exchange rate, and pushing economic reforms are signs that “the transformation is real.”

In the end, while Quest cornered him with the “worst president” question, Ruto’s response was clear — dismiss the label, defend democracy, and redirect the conversation to results.