'Timing was wrong,' ex-EALA MP Mumbi Ng'aru says on President Ruto’s US trip

Former East African Legislative Assembly MP Mumbi Ng’aru, while speaking on Citizen TV’s JKLive show on Wednesday night, opined that the visit which is alleged to be costing the government Ksh.1.6 million every hour was time-bad for Kenya, owing to the current economic status.

She said President Ruto ought to have requested his American counterpart Joe Biden to give him more time to sort out current issues affecting Kenyans such as the flood aftermath, as well as the medics' and teachers' strike.

“I have no problem with the State visit but I think the timing was wrong. I would have told my host to give me time to recognise maybe two to three months after sorting out the budget issue, post floods, doctors have just gone back to work…we have more to handle than that prestige. I should have asked them to push it forward,” she said.

Mumbi argued that the trip was expensive for Kenya, further suggesting that the U.S should have catered for the President Ruto's travel expenses since the chartered jet he is using reportedly cost the Kenyan taxpayer an upwards of Ksh.200 million.

“The hosts should have paid for it so that it makes sense to Kenyans because of the economic situation we are going through,” she stated.

Political Analysts Prof. Peter Kagwanja and Prof. Macharia Munene, who were also on the show, disputed Mumbi’s remarks, terming the trip a prestigious honour to the President and the country at large.

Prof. Kagwanja underscored the U.S. trip as a monumental stepping stone for the country as it puts Kenya on the map with other global nations which have so far enjoyed the same.

“Former presidents Kibaki and Uhuru were there as an official visit but this is a State visit, meaning all government business shuts down to receive an important Kenyan guest; it is an honour to us…it shows we have reached a certain league, among great nations,” he said.

Prof. Munene noted that it was a big deal for the nation and Ruto as a person since the U.S. would now be perceiving him as an African statesman, similar to the likes of the late Tom Mboya and opposition chief Raila Odinga.

“It is a good thing for the President, and he has really been fighting for that recognition because it gives him that prestige where he is portrayed as the leader of Africans,” said Munene.

“He is not the first Kenyan to be portrayed that way because of the likes of Tom Mboya, Raila Odinga…so it is not bad for Kenya. It is an honour for the President and for Kenya. A State visit for any president is a big deal for any country.”