President William Ruto on Sunday, May 26, 2024 attempted to bring the debate on the cost of his travel to the U.S aboard a private jet but ended up sparking debate.
The President claimed, in a statement shared on his social media pages that his flight aboard a private jet was cheaper compared to travelling on national carrier, Kenya Airways.
“FellowKenyans, I have noted concerns on my mode of transport to USA. As a responsible steward of public resources and in keeping with my determination for us to live within our means and that I should lead from the front in so doing, the cost was less than travelling on KQ.” President Ruto wrote.
The statement saw focus turn to air travel with many questioning how Ruto’s claims could be true, given the cost of flying to the U.S that is available to the public, including on KQ website.
A single trip from Nairobi to Atlanta, Georgia aboard the luxury jet takes approximately 18 hours at a cost of approximately Ksh.98 million.
A round trip sees the cost rise to more than double and costing the taxpayers more than Sh200million considering that also travelled from Atlanta to Washington D.C., a trip spanning two-hours.
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Armed with screenshots from KQ website, President Ruto's math failed to add up for a section of netizens.
Those who are good in mathematics were quick to share the facts, using costs available on KQ’s website, including if the entire entourage travelled business class and asserted that the math does not favour the President’s claims.
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Some faulted the President for spending public funds in foreign companies instead of bringing business to the national carrier and getting the funds back into the economy in line with the buy Kenya build Kenya strategy.
Ong'aro Conrad: But if you pay KQ the money remains in our economy but nah just like Chinese contracts money has to leave our country in some way.
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ツ O R I: As a Kenyan citizen, I am saying that you should have used Kenyan Airways that you expect all of us to use.
With KQ flight costs publicly available, a section challenged the President to make the expenses of hiring the private jet public for a fair comparison.
Kate : To avoid further misconceptions, give us an approximate amount you used and the ones KQ could have charged. We want to see something.
U.S. Embassy in Kenya distances itself from controversial cost of Ruto's trip
The trip that saw the President net several deals continues to draw criticism and attract attention with initial claims that it was paid for by the U.S. Embassy dismissed.
“Just to be clear: The United States of America did not pay for President Ruto’s jet to the US,” a spokesperson for the US embassy in Kenya told journalists.
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Notably, KQ has not confirmed how much the trip would cost and if President Ruto's remarks is a true reflection of the is true.