President Ruto Denies Extravagant Spending on Recent US Trip
President William Ruto has refuted claims that he overspent taxpayers’ money during his 4-day visit to the United States starting on May 19.
Unconfirmed reports about the trip’s expenses triggered online backlash, with Kenyans accusing the president of lavish spending for his meeting with US President Joe Biden.
In an interview with VOA Africa, President Ruto dismissed the rumored figures, calling them overblown. He emphasized his prudence in handling financial resources.
“I believe the expenditure on my trip is grossly exaggerated. It’s almost laughable. I’m very mindful of how I utilize resources,” Ruto stated.
Ruto highlighted that his administration, Kenya Kwanza, had reduced funding to his office and other government departments to redirect resources toward economic development.
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“In reality, I’ve slashed funding to my office and various government agencies. I’ve cut recurrent expenditure by 30% in this budget to ensure we live within our means and allocate more resources to development, education, healthcare, and essential services, including cash transfers to citizens,” the President elaborated.
Typically, the Kenyan president travels abroad using a presidential jet, a 30-year-old Fokker 70 extended range named Harambee One, which carries 26 passengers and flies non-stop for five hours.
However, for this trip, he chose a chartered Boeing 737-700 business jet from the Royal Jet group, a luxury private aviation company based in Abu Dhabi.
A quote from the operator, published by KTN, indicated that hiring a similar jet costs Ksh 100 million for a one-way trip for 34 passengers, with a round trip doubling the cost.
Details revealed that the jet could cost over Ksh 2 million per hour, depending on factors like routing, scheduling, and passenger count. Additional expenses include take-off and landing fees, and parking charges at various airports.
The state-of-the-art plane can accommodate 34 passengers, including eight VIPs, and features an executive bedroom, among other amenities. It can fly continuously for 10 hours.
President Ruto Denies Extravagant Spending on Recent US Trip