| Post: | President |
| Body: | the Republic of Kenya |
| Native Name: | Swahili: Rais wa Jamhuri ya Kenya |
| Flagsize: | 125 |
| Flagborder: | yes |
| Flagcaption: | Current presidential standard |
| Incumbent: | William Ruto |
| Incumbentsince: | 13 September 2022 |
| Residence: | State House |
| Seat: | Nairobi |
| Appointer: | Direct popular vote or via succession from deputy presidency |
| Department: | Government of Kenya |
| Termlength: | Five years, renewable once |
| Constituting Instrument: | Constitution of Kenya |
| Inaugural: | Jomo Kenyatta |
| Deputy: | Deputy President of Kenya |
| Salary: | KSh. 886,250 (basic) KSh. 1,443,750 (gross) monthly[1] |
| Precursor: | Governor-General of Kenya Queen of Kenya |
The president of the Republic of Kenya is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Kenya. The president is also the head of the executive branch of the Government of Kenya and is the commander-in-chief of the Kenya Defence Forces. The country's current president is William Ruto since 13 September 2022.
Kenya's pre-independence constitution was based on the standard "Lancaster House template" used for the former British colonies in Africa, subject to early amendments. It was replaced in 1969.
Under the Independence Constitution, the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, was the country's head of state, represented locally by a governor-general of Kenya, who was the head of government. In 1964, the year after the country gained independence from Britain, the 1963 Constitution was amended to make the country a republic, with the president now serving as both head of state and head of government.
Kenya has had a total of five presidents since independence, in successive order: Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel arap Moi, Mwai Kibaki, Uhuru Kenyatta, and the incumbent, William Ruto, who was inaugurated on 13 September 2022. Moi remains the country's longest serving president, having served for a total of 24 years.
According to the current Constitution, if a person wishes to be elected as president, the following qualifications must be met:
A candidate will be disqualified to run for presidency if they have allegiance to a foreign state or is working for the government in any capacity as a public officer. Being a public officer is not applicable to the incumbent president if running for a second term.
The president is elected by popular vote in the general election held in the month of August every five years. For a presidential candidate to be declared the winner, they must have:
The official residence of the president of Kenya is State House, Nairobi.
The wife of the president is referred to as the first lady of Kenya.
A president is eligible for two consecutive terms of five years each, starting from the date the president is sworn in.[4]
The following is a summary of the roles of the president of Kenya as provided in the Constitution of Kenya:
The responsibilities of the president are summarised as follows:
Additionally, a person serving as president has legal immunity, with the exception of crimes under treaties to which Kenya is party with provisions that prohibit such immunity.
See main article: List of heads of state of Kenya. Jomo Kenyatta - 12 December 1964 - 22 August 1978Daniel Toroitich arap Moi - 14 October 1978 - 30 December 2002Emilio Mwai Kibaki - 30 December 2002 - 9 April 2013Uhuru Kenyatta - 9 April 2013 - 13 September 2022William Samoei Ruto - 13 September 2022 - Present
As with most other countries, the president of Kenya has a presidential standard to signify their status as the country's head of state and government. Its design is generally based on the country's national flag, although the president has some leeway to customise its appearance. The flag is generally displayed in notable locations associated with the president, usually alongside the national flag, such as the president's offices and the president's official state car, and during notable state occasions.
The presidential standards of Kenya's presidents since the country's independence have been as follows: