Ruto ranked highest-paid world leader by GDP ratio - report

Kenya’s President William Ruto has been identified as the highest-paid world leader relative to the economic capacity of his country, according to a recent analysis by Statista.

The report dubbed "What are world leaders getting paid?" reveals that Ruto's compensation places him at the forefront of world leaders when adjusted for their countries' economic performance.

Following a revision by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) in June 2023, Ruto's monthly salary increased from Sh1,443,750 to Sh1,650,000.

According to the report, his annual earnings of Sh19,800,000 translate to 1,993 per cent of Kenya’s per-capita GDP, which stood at Sh811,615 in 2023. The report dated September 27, 2024 notes that this percentage highlights the significant disparity between his salary and the average economic output per citizen.

"Kenyan President William Ruto is the biggest earner, bringing in the equivalent of almost 2,000 per cent of his country's per-capita GDP in 2023. Based on 2023 average exchange rates, Ruto made the equivalent of $126,000 last year. This is in stark contrast to Kenya's GDP per capita of just $6,300 annually," reads the report.

In comparison, Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who assumed office in 2024, is the second highest-paid leader globally. Wong’s annual salary of Sh217,718,946 (approximately $1.69 million) amounts to 1,158 per cent of Singapore’s per-capita GDP.

Despite this high figure, it still pales in comparison to Ruto's relative earnings.

African leaders' ranking

The report also notes that several other African leaders appear prominently in the rankings. Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan and South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa follow closely, with salaries exceeding 1000 per cent of their respective countries’ GDP per capita—1087 per cent and 1053 per cent, respectively. Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo ranks fifth, earning 651 per cent of Ghana’s GDP per capita.

The details emerged a few months after President Ruto directed government agencies to reduce their spending, emphasising that the country must "live within its means."

In April, while addressing doctors who were on strike, Ruto urged them to recognise that there are limits to government expenditure on salaries and allowances. He acknowledged the vital role that doctors and interns play in the healthcare sector but stressed that the country cannot afford to overspend.

“The resources we have are only sufficient to pay Sh70,000 for intern doctors. This is not a salary; it is a stipend for only one year. Afterwards, they will be employed,” he said.

Although the doctors were demanding salaries exceeding Sh200,000, Ruto explained that the government has enough funds to accommodate all 1,500 doctor interns at Sh70,000 a month. He reiterated that the government is working to reduce the wage bill from the current 47 per cent to the legal requirement of 35 per cent.

“We are spending Sh1.1 trillion out of the Sh2.2 trillion revenue we collect every year to pay salaries and allowances. This is way above what we should be spending on salaries,” he said.

“As a nation, we must agree that we need to live within our means. We cannot continue to spend money we do not have."