Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura on Tuesday, May 21 defended the cost of President William Ruto’s four-day state visit to the United States.
Mwaura had paid a courtesy call to Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology in Nakuru, and was interacting with students when one of them raised the question on the expenditure of the high-profile tour.
According to Mwaura, it was myopic for a section of Kenyans to question the cost of the trip, without factoring in the benefits and/or returns of President Ruto’s visit to the Superpower.
“Faida William Ruto atatuletea haitoshi ile mafuta ameenda nayo,” Mwaura told the students, amid cheers from them.
Ruto U.S trip
Mwaura, who was accompanied by his deputies Gabriel Muthuma and Mwanaisha Chidzuga, underscored potential foreign investments, trade deals and education agreements that will follow the trip outweighing the expenditure.
“Hii pareto inatumika sana kule Marekani kwa hivyo nyinyi wakulima, (Rais William Ruto) ameenda kuwatafutia soko. Kwa hivyo wewe unauliza maswali haya …hiyo maswali ni ya kipuzi kabisa. Shindwe wewe ibilisi, pepo mbaya.”
“Rais ameenda kama mzee wa Kenya, kutafuta alafu wewe unauliza fare ni pesa ngapi na akirudi atarudi na zaidi ya hiyo fare mara milioni. Yeye ni Rais wa kwanza ambaye ameitwa kutoka Africa kuenda State visit Marekani baada ya mda mrefu.”
Cost of Ruto U.S trip
Ruto arrived at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Georgia, on Monday, May 20 afternoon on board a private Boeing 737-700 jet from the Royal Jet of Dubai.
The Head of State overlooked his presidential jet, a Fokker 70ER for this trip.
Reports indicate that the Abu Dhabi-based airline charges around 18,000 USD per hour (approximately KSh2.4 million) to charter the jet.
A flight from Nairobi to Atlanta roughly takes 18 hours.
First visit in 16 years
Ruto is visiting the U.S at the invitation of President Joe Biden. This is the first of such visit by an African head of state in 16 years.
The last time an African head of sate was invited by Potus was in 2008, when then Ghanaian President John Kufuor was invited by President George Bush.
The late retired Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki, in October 2003, also visited the U.S on the invitation of President Bush.
