Charlene Ruto

Charlene Chelagat Ruto, (born 11 January 1993) is a youth champion, and PR practitioner. She is the third-born daughter to Kenya's President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto. Charlene actively campaigned for her father ahead of the 2022 Kenyan general election, and after his inauguration in September 2022, she has been actively attending national and global events.

Charlene holds a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Daystar University, and Master of Business Administration in Hospitality from Les Roches International School of Hotel Management in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Between August 2012 to January 2013, she was a foreign exchange student at Northwestern College.

Charlene is a Youth Champion, Climate Action champion and a youth mobilizer for development. She believes on a transformative, actionable and agenda-driven leadership.She also run a campaign that empowers youth in agribusiness, mentally hygiene, anti-FGM campaigns among others. Charlene is the patron of SMACHS Foundation, a Kenyan non-governmental charity that is getting youths to engage in smart & mechanized agriculture in pursuit of food security, jobs for youth and protecting the environment. The foundation is doing many projects in three thematic areas; getting youth2farm, beekeeping and climate action. In her community life, she has not segmented any spectrum of the society, she empowers the youth, women, marginalized and has a soft spot for persons with disabilities as well. She has supported the formation of a national students with disability association and has attended several functions of PWDs across the country. She has also learnt the Kenya SIgn Language, to enable her communicate better with members of the deaf community.

Charlene Ruto is known for her significant contributions as a youth champion and her efforts in advancing the youth agenda in Kenya. With her proximity to power, she has effectively utilized her position to advocate for an expanded space for Kenyan youth, working towards their empowerment and engagement in various sectors.Through her various roles and initiatives, she has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to fostering a new generation of environmentally-conscious leaders while actively addressing the pressing challenges of climate change. Charlene Ruto is also the Patron of SMACHS Foundation, a non-governmental organization whose operations revolve around youth involvement in smart, mechanized agriculture & climate action towards a sustainable future.

Advocacy and Engagement

Charlene's dedication to youth empowerment is evident in her extensive engagement with officials and stakeholders across the country. In just a month, she held 31 official meetings with government representatives and officials from different counties, as reported by The Nation newspaper. She has effectively utilized these interactions to advocate for an expanded space for the Kenyan youth, ensuring their voices are heard and their concerns addressed at the highest levels of decision-making.

Moreover, Ruto has actively engaged with the private sector, visiting various counties and advocating for youth participation and opportunities within the business community. Her efforts have helped foster collaborations and partnerships that provide young people with access to mentorship, training, and employment prospects.

Foundation and Youth Empowerment

In her commitment to empowering the youth, Charlene Ruto is the founding patron ofthe Smart Mechanized Agriculture and Climate Action forHumanity and Sustainability (SMACHs) Foundation. This foundation focuses on equipping young individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in smart, mechanized agriculture. Through the foundation's programs, Ruto seeks to address unemployment challenges among youth by promoting sustainable and innovative agricultural practices.

As a patron of numerous youth organizations, she actively supports initiatives that promote skill development, entrepreneurship, and social welfare. Her patronage extends to various sectors, including education, healthcare, and environmental conservation.

Climate Action and Environmental Stewardship

On her 30th birthday, she made a remarkable announcement, pledging to plant and support the growth of 30 million trees through strategic initiatives and partnerships. This commitment reflects her dedication to combating deforestation, mitigating climate change, and preserving Kenya's natural resources for future generations. She has condensed the 30 items into three key thematic areas of Youth in Action, Youth & Society and Climate Change and Agriculture.