The United States government has come out to clear speculation that it footed the bill for President William Ruto’s chartered flight from Kenya to the US.
The chartered flight has created an air of shock and anger in Kenya after revelations that it will cost the taxpayers more than Sh. 200 million. The United States government made the clarification following speculation from pro-UDA government propagandists that the bill was footed by the US.
“Just to be clear, the United States of America did not pay for President Ruto’s jet to the US,” a spokesperson of the US government said in Nairobi on Tuesday.
According to a report that was published by the BBC, President Ruto chartered the multi-million flight at the expense of the taxpayer, and flew with more than 30 people including comedians and actors.
The chartered jet is owned by the Royal Jet of Dubai. It is a Boeing 737-700 business jet that was chartered at $18,000 (equivalent to Sh. 2.4 million per hour).
Ruto’s hired Boeing 737-700 business jet to US Kenyans will pay over Sh. 200mn for!
The services of this plane are targeted at the elite markets of Europe and the USA. According to a quotation that was provided by the company that owns the jet to the Standard Media Group, a one-way flight from Nairobi to Atlanta, Georgia, where Ruto landed costs $748,600 (Sh. 98 million).
A return leg costs the same amount, bringing the total cost for a chartered Nairobi-Atlanta return flight to around Sh. 196 million. This quotation is for the 18-hour flight to and from Atlanta.
With President Ruto expected to fly to Washington DC, the amount of fees to be paid to the Dubai company will cross the Sh. 200 million mark.
This figure could get even higher if the company charges for the Abu Dhabi to Nairobi flight it made to pick up Ruto, and the Nairobi to Abu Dhabi return leg.
