President William Ruto’s popularity appears to have increased not only in Kenya but also across the continent in 2024. So much so that the Head of State ranks inside the top five of the most talked-about Africans in the continent this year.
In a list released by Top Charts Africa publication, President Ruto ranked second among the 30 most talked-about African personalities of 2024.
Only Nigerian artist Wizkid, whose real name is Ayo Balogun, was more talked about in Africa than Ruto, according to the list.
Raila Odinga was also a hot topic across Africa as he ranked fifth in the list, making him one of the most talked about Kenyan personalities on the continent. Raila’s ranking could have something to do with being a strong contender for the African Union Commission (AUC) seat.
Opposition Leader Raila Odinga follows on during a meeting with representatives of Kenyans in the diaspora at his office in Nairobi on November 19, 2024.
Raila Odinga
The outgoing ODM party leader has been touring African countries and attending forums in a bid to drum up more support ahead of the election which will be held in February 2025.
Interestingly, all five Kenyan personalities in the list of the most talked about African personalities in 2024 were political figures.
Ruto’s former deputy-turned-adversary Rigathi Gachagua also ranked fairly high on the list, coming in position 12. This largely has to do with the successful impeachment motion against Gachagua, which was so explosive that it made international headlines.
Despite his impeachment, Gachagua remains a vocal figure in the political scene, and more recently called out President Ruto over the alarming rate of abduction cases in the country.
Rounding off the top five most talked about Kenyan personalities in Africa is former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who ranked in position 14 in the top 30, and Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino, who surprisingly ranked in position 27 in the list.
According to Top Charts, the list was curated after an intensive analysis of social media trends from January to November 2024.
“The 30 Most Talked-About Africans of 2024 is a definitive ranking of the people who were the topics of conversation during the year, based on cumulative data from The Social Chart. Using advanced social media tracking and Google Analytics, the list highlights the people who dominated online conversations from January 1 to November 3, 2024,” the publication said.
This is not the first time Ruto has ranked high in a list containing international names. In November 2024, data revealed the UDA party leader was one of the best-paid presidents in the world, relatively speaking.
President William Ruto addressing Kenyans during the 2024 Jamhuri Day celebrations. PHOTO/ William Ruto