President William Ruto has stirred controversy by defending his choice to fly on a private jet to the United States, asserting that this decision saved Kenyan taxpayers money compared to using the national carrier, Kenya Airways.
In a tweet on Sunday, Ruto explained, “As a responsible steward of public resources and in keeping with my determination for us to live within our means… the cost was less than travelling on KQ.”
The president’s statement sparked backlash on social media, with many Kenyans questioning his financial priorities and the government’s commitment to supporting Kenya Airways (KQ), which is struggling to achieve profitability.
Reports indicate that President Ruto hired a Boeing 737-700 for his US state visit, costing at least KES 2.4 million per hour.
In comparison, a one-way business class ticket on KQ’s Nairobi-New York route in May costs approximately KES 500,000.
Our calculations estimate that hiring a Boeing 737-700 for Ruto’s return trip to the U.S. would have cost KES 52.8 million, compared to just KES 30 million for 30 business class return tickets on Kenya Airways – a difference of KES 22.8 million.
