King of skies: President Ruto’s 66 trips in two years since assuming office

President William Ruto is winding up his two-day state visit to Germany to sign several job deals, including one on comprehensive migration and mobility.

This will be Ruto’s 66th foreign trip in his two-year presidency, which is twice the number of foreign trips made by the late third president, Mwai Kibaki, during his entire 10-year tenure.

When he is not flying, he plans to fly; Kenya’s fifth president is the undisputed king of the skies in terms of foreign trips made by sitting Kenyan heads of state, earning him the tag "the flying president."

In the two years he has been in office, Ruto has made 66 foreign trips, averaging three per month. His latest one to Germany adds to his growing tally of frequent flier miles.

President Ruto was in Berlin to attend the signing of the bilateral labour migration agreement between Kenya and Germany, which includes the Kenya-Germany Agreement on Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership, as well as the annual Citizens Festival.

"We will again sign another one for mobility between Germany and Kenya. We are the gateway to Africa... we have signatories to the Africa Continental Free Trade Area that opens the African market,” he said in Berlin.

While many of Ruto’s trips have caused an uproar among taxpayers, his historic State visit to the United States in May this year garnered significant attention, not because of the trip itself, but for the luxurious manner in which it was undertaken.

Ruto, who rose to power under the "Chief Hustler" banner, landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia aboard a chartered Boeing 737-700 Boeing Business Jet operated by Royal Jet of Dubai.

The total cost of hiring such a jet typically exceeds the Ksh.200 million mark. A quotation from Royal Jet, the Abu Dhabi-based private airline, indicated that a one-way trip from Nairobi to Atlanta could cost up to Ksh.98 million.

Amid public outrage, given Ruto's calls for austerity, the president justified the trip, claiming that Kenya Airways would have been more expensive than the chartered jet. He later backtracked, saying his friends from the UAE had covered the costs.

On May 30, 2024, President Ruto stated: "You know I’m a very responsible citizen. Believe me, there is no way I could spend Ksh.200 million. In fact, it cost the Republic of Kenya less than Ksh.10 million."

Efforts to verify the president’s assertions, however, have been futile, and many Kenyans expressed anger, accusing the president of preaching austerity while living extravagantly.

On April 7, 2024, Ruto stated: "We must tell ourselves the truth; the time has come for us to live within our means."

During the two-month-long Gen Z-led protests against the Finance Bill of 2024, Ruto's foreign trips slowed down. He made only one visit to Rwanda a month ago, to attend the swearing-in of President Paul Kagame, after being grounded for 58 days.

His most recent trip was a week-long visit to China to attend the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit.

In comparison to his predecessors, President Ruto’s travel record is unmatched. In his 10-year tenure, former President Mwai Kibaki travelled abroad only 33 times. In contrast, Ruto has already made twice as many trips. Former President Uhuru Kenyatta made 151 trips during his decade in office, while Ruto is almost halfway there in just two years.

At an average of three trips per month, President William Ruto could make a total of 180 trips by the end of his five-year term, a travel itinerary that could cost taxpayers dearly.

However, Ruto maintains that the benefits of his trips far outweigh their costs.