President William Ruto’s daughter Charlene Ruto has set social media alight after posting a loved-up photo of her partner, Tanzanian tech entrepreneur Isaya Yunge, on her Instagram Stories, tenderly referring to him as “My Husband.
The post, shared on Tuesday and accompanied by Dolly Parton’s timeless ballad I Will Always Love You (Live), featured a sharp, smiling image of Isaya dressed in a light blue and white checkered blazer layered over a beige linen shirt and khaki pants.
A bold white text overlay reading “AND I” sat above a handwritten message at the bottom:
The post spread rapidly online within minutes of being shared, with Kenyans gushing over both the sweet gesture and how good Isaya looked.
A cross-border love story
The couple made their relationship official in the most traditional of ways on 8 August 2026, when they held their Kalenjin engagement ceremony, the Koito ak Chaik, at the Ruto family’s Intonna Heritage Farm in Naserian Village, Kilgoris, Narok County.
The occasion drew Kenya’s political elite, including Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi, Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja, and Mama Ida Odinga.
Guests arrived in coordinated African prints in earthy tones of brown, lime-green and cream, while Charlene wore a beautiful brown gown with a sleek high bun and a delicate forehead piece, and Isaya matched her in a brown suit.
President Ruto, speaking at the event, joked admiringly about Isaya’s determination, saying the young man had somehow navigated all the layers of presidential security to win his daughter’s heart. He declared that Yunge’s Mwanza family was now one with his own.
Who is Isaya Yunge?
Born in 1990 in Mwanza, Isaya, now 36, has a remarkable backstory. He grew up under the care of his grandmother while herding animals and moving between foster families.
By age 17, he had become a UNICEF Africa Youth Ambassador and the first African Junior 8 delegate to address the G8 Summit in Germany in 2007.
He co-founded SomaApps Technologies, where he serves as CEO, and its flagship product SomaApp helps African students access scholarship opportunities.
Forbes Africa included him in its 30 Under 30 list in 2017, and in 2018 he received the Queen’s Young Leaders Award from the late Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. He is also the founder of GoodSAM Inc, which is developing the REX 300, billed as Africa’s first affordable premium smartphone.
Charlene, born on 11 January 1993, is the third child of President Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto. She studied Communication at Daystar University before earning an MBA in Hospitality Management in Switzerland.
Since the Koito, the pair have been playfully affectionate online. Charlene recently shared a video of Isaya trying on tall rubber boots, joking:
“My husband is turning into a camper. Mtaniona kwa mlima.”
With her latest post calling him her husband to a Dolly Parton love anthem, Kenyans are convinced a white wedding is well on its way.
