President William Ruto is back in the country after a successful state visit to the U.S that saw him secure several deals for the country.
The president jetted back on Saturday, May 25, 2024 and was received by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki and Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo.
Defence CS Aden Duale and Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah also turned up to receive the president.
“It his good to be back home,” Ruto wrote on his social media page.
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Ruto clarifies claims of overspending during U.S. trip
On claims of overspending during the trip, the Head of State explained that rumours circulating alleging extravagance and prohibitively high cost of the trip are all exaggerated as he is very careful on resources spent.
"I think the expenditure on my trip is completely exaggerated. They actually border on ridiculous. I am very careful about the resources that I spend.
"In fact, I have cut down on funding to my office, and to different government agencies. I have reduced by 30% recurrent expenditure in this budget so that we can accommodate living within our means and we can push more resources to the realm of development, education, providing health and doing the things that matter including cash transfers to citizens," the Head of State explained in an interview with VOA.
The president jetted back at a time of heightened political activity in his Kenya Kwanza camp, with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua firing a warning shot at a section of politicians from the Rift Valley and Mt Kenya regions whom he said were mostly Ruto allies.
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The DP accused the politicians of interfering with Mt Kenya politics and creating disunity.
“There are politicians from Rift Valley who have partnered with others in the Mt Kenya region and have decided to plan 2027 politics. Why do you want to succeed the president while he is still alive?” DP Gachagua slammed without naming the politicians in question.
“We are good people, so the problem is a few leaders from this region (Rift Valley) who are ill-advising the President on Mt Kenya politics,” he added.
DP Gachagua addresses betrayal and supporting President Ruto
He reiterated that while the region is keen on supporting the president as was witnessed in the 2022 elections, betrayal is loathed.
"The people of Mt Kenya have no problem, we are good people, we promised to support Ruto and we did just as we promised. We are honest and straightforward people, the only thing we hate is betrayal.
"We are there, we are helping the president, we urge politicians from Rift Valley to let us alone so that we can help the President to serve the people of Kenya," DP Gachagua added.
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His remarks come amid reports of bad blood between him and his boss, President William Ruto.