Charlene Ruto, daughter of President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto, married Tanzanian tech entrepreneur Isaya Yunge on Friday, 6 November 2026. The white wedding was held at Malaika Beach Resort in Mwanza, Tanzania, a lakeside venue overlooking Lake Victoria. Mwanza was chosen because it is Isaya’s hometown, and under Kalenjin custom, after the bride’s family hosts the Koito ceremony, the groom’s family hosts the white wedding.
The groom, Isaya Yunge, was born on 23 March 1990 in Mwanza. He is 36 years old and is the founder of SomaApps, an education technology platform that connects African students with scholarship opportunities. He grew up in Mwanza, started school late at age 7 after herding goats, and was raised partly by his grandmother and in foster homes after his parents separated.
The wedding week started in Kenya. Charlene had her bridal shower in Nairobi on Tuesday, 3 November, decorated in white and purple, where she wore a white gown and her guests wore pink. The cake read “Miss Babe to Mrs Babe” and “Hey Mrs Yunge”. On Wednesday, 4 November, First Lady Rachel Ruto hosted a Mother’s Blessing ceremony where women prayed for Charlene and gifted her a Bible. Charlene then flew to Mwanza the same day and was welcomed with drummers, dancers and a convoy of luxury vehicles.
Guests were flown to Mwanza on a specially branded private jet. The headrest covers inside the plane had the couple’s monogram “CI”, their names “Charlene & Isaya”, the date “6 November 2026” and “Mwanza, Tanzania”. President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto arrived on Thursday, 5 November, accompanied by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi and other close associates. Other guests included Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu, comedian Eddie Butita and his girlfriend Celest Terer, and Isaya’s father Solomon Waigwa who led the Yunge family delegation.
The wedding was kept very private. The couple used white and maroon as their official colours. A leaked sign at the venue showed a “Phone Concierge” service, asking guests not to take any photographs or videos during the event to protect privacy. Despite that, some photos leaked showing Charlene walking down a flower-lined aisle in a bedazzling white lace gown with a cathedral veil, walked by both her dad and mum. President Ruto and Rachel Ruto wore matching maroon outfits, Rachel in a long maroon dress with white floral details and a matching hat, and Ruto in a maroon coat, white shirt, black bow tie and black hat with a godfather badge.
Security was tight in Mwanza. Tanzania police deployed extra officers, increased patrols around hotels, Lake Victoria and key roads including Makongoro Road, Mwanza Airport road, Kwatunza-Malaika Beach Resort Road and Nyerere-Kisesa Road. There was speculation that Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan might attend, but it was not confirmed as a personal family event.
This white wedding follows their traditional Kalenjin Koito ceremony held on Saturday, 8 August 2026 at the Ruto family’s Intonna Heritage Farm in Kilgoris, Narok County, where the two families were formally united.
