Following criticism that he was being extravagant, Kenya's President William Ruto stated that the private jet for his recent trip to the United States cost taxpayers less than Ksh10 million ($77,000).
- Ruto claims private jet cost taxpayers less than $77,000, far less than reported $1.5m
- According to him, the reduced expense was possible after some "friends of Kenya" co-sponsored the trip.
- He insisted he was not going to allow misuse of taxpayers' money.
This reduced expense was possible after some "friends of Kenya" co-sponsored the trip when he first offered to travel on the national carrier, Kenya Airways to save money.
He said there was “no way” he could have spent about $1.5m – the amount reported to have been the cost of hiring the Boeing 737-700 VIP plane.
What Ruto said:
“I am not a mad man," he said, speaking at a National Prayer Breakfast event in Nairobi on Thursday.
*“We have built a big reputation as a country and we have built friends… I said I was not ready to pay more than \[$153m\]\. They said bring \[$73,000\] we'll give you the plane,”* the president explained\.
Last week, President Ruto embarked on a four-day state visit to the United States, engaging in extensive discussions on debt relief for Kenya and also attracting investment for the country.
Upon his return, President Ruto faced criticism from citizens for the private jet expenditure on the visit. Nevertheless, he defended his choice of travel to the U.S. via his social media account, saying that it was cheaper than flying Kenya Airways.
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The president said that he was informed the most affordable plane would cost about $530,000. Therefore, he instructed his office to arrange bookings with Kenya Airways for himself and his entourage of roughly 30 individuals.
However, upon learning of his plans to travel commercially, some associates inquired about his budget for a chartered aircraft.
He insisted he was not going to allow misuse of taxpayers' money. “I must lead from the front as I tell others to tighten their belt, mine must be where it begins. So relax and the debate must end,” he said.
