President William Ruto’s daughter, Charlene Ruto, and her fiancé, Tanzanian entrepreneur Isaya Yunge, have continued to attract public attention following their traditional Koito ceremony held on Saturday.
The colourful ceremony, attended by close family members, friends and invited guests, marked a significant milestone in the couple’s journey towards marriage. Images shared online showed the pair dressed in coordinated green traditional attire as they took part in cultural rites symbolising the formal union of their families.
Yunge, 36, is a Tanzanian technology entrepreneur and founder of Soma App, a digital platform that helps African students identify scholarship opportunities. He has also been associated with other technology ventures, including KAYA, an AI-powered smart speaker focused on African data, and Somafit, a smartwatch designed to monitor health indicators such as heart rate and blood pressure. He was listed in Forbes Africa’s 30 Under 30 in 2018 for his contributions to entrepreneurship and innovation.
Beyond business, Yunge has represented Tanzania on various international engagements and has accompanied President Samia Suluhu Hassan on official foreign visits in different capacities, earning recognition for his fluency in Mandarin Chinese and his work in innovation and youth empowerment. Claims circulating on social media about other aspects of his profile remain unverified.
Saturday’s Koito ceremony blended Kenyan and Tanzanian cultural traditions, with the families formally meeting and observing customary marriage rites. The event was largely private, although photos shared online quickly went viral, drawing congratulatory messages from supporters across East Africa.
The ceremony is viewed as one of the final traditional steps before the couple’s anticipated wedding, although the family has not publicly announced the wedding date.
