Ruto Sets Air-travel Record for A Kenyan President

Between September 2022 and November 2023, President Ruto and DP Gachagua embarked on 51 trips to 34 countries, averaging about four trips per month.

Within a year of taking office, the country’s bosses had incurred a staggering expenditure of over Sh 1.3 billion and counting.

In comparison, President Uhuru Kenyatta visited 53 countries during his two terms in office.

The United States of America emerged as Ruto’s most frequented destination, having visited the country thrice, two of those trips dedicated to attending the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

Meanwhile, Gachagua’s travels within the same period included visits to Italy, Rwanda, Belgium, and Colombia, along with a vacation trip to South Africa in December 2022.

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So, which countries has the head of state visited?

The United Kindom

On 19th September 2022, the president made his first official foreign visit to the UK to attend the state burial of Queen Elizabeth II.

He revisited the country in 2023 to attend the coronation of King Charles III at Westminister Abey in London courtesy of the King’s invitation.

USA

Between 20th and 24 September 2022, the president visited the USA for the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

He revisited the country twice in 2023, touring Silicon Valley in San Francisco, where he met tech leaders of Microsoft, Intel, Google, and Apple, among others.

The Head of State later attended the 78th United Nations General Assembly session in New York.

Ethiopia

On 6th October 2022, the president landed in Addis Ababa to launch Safaricom Telecommunications.

He revisited Ethiopia in 2023, meeting Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Thursday to discuss bilateral cooperation and deepen the economic and strategic ties between the two countries on regional issues

Uganda

Between the 8th and 9th of October 2022, President Ruto visited Kampala for a state visit for Uganda’s 60th Independence Day elections.

He has revisited the country twice in 2023, including a silent trip to the country in April to attend the Heads of State Summit of the Troop Contributing countries to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

Tanzania

Between the 9th and 10th of October 2022, the president visited Tanzania for a state visit. He has since revisited the country four times.

One of his visits was to the East Africa Community (EAC) High-Level Panel on Climate Change and Food Security.

Egypt

Between 6 to 8th November 2022, the president landed in Sharmel-Sheikh, Egypt for the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference.

He later led the Kenyan delegation to the 27th Conference of the Parties(COP27).

Democratic Republic Of Congo

On 21st November 2022, the president landed in the DRC for a state visit.

There, he met his Congolese counterpart Felix Tsishekedi to discuss matters relating to the security of DRC and other matters of trade and investments.

South Korea

Between 22 and 24th November 2022, the president landed in Seoul, South Korea, for bilateral talks with his counterpart President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The head of state later attended a business forum where he marketed Kenya as a suitable investment destination for foreign investors.

Eritrea

The president visited Eritrea between the 9th and 10th of December 2022 on a state visit.

France

On 24th January 2023, the president landed in Paris for a state visit. He has revisited the country twice.

In one of these visits, the head of state attended the Global Pact Finance Summit, where he met other world leaders to foster the creation of an inclusive financial architecture driven towards climate action.

Senegal

On January 3, 2023, the president embarked on a visit to Dakar, Senegal, where he was a keynote speaker at the Dakar 2 Summit on ‘Feed Africa: Food, Sovereignty and Resilience.

Burundi

On 4th February 2023, the president attended the 20th Extraordinary summit of EAC heads of state in Burundi.

He joined other regional leaders in making major decisions on the current security situation in Eastern DRC.

Germany

Between 27th to 28th March 2023, the president visited Berlin for the 9th Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue. He later revisited the country on other agendas.

Belgium

On 29th March 2023, the president embarked on a visit to the country of Belgium to hold talks with Belgium Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis, and the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Rwanda

On 4th April 2023, the president arrived in Kigali for a two-day tour — on the invitation of President Paul Kagame — his first in Rwanda since he ascended to power in 2022.

Netherlands

On May 8, 2023, the president met King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands at Noordeinde Palace.

The leaders committed to strengthening ties between the two countries for the mutual prosperity of their citizens.

Israel

Between 9th and 10th May 2023, the president flew to Israel for a two-day State visit following an invitation by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He also toured several agricultural projects in Israel and held high-level discussions on areas of mutual interest to the countries

Comoros

On 6th July 2023, the president left on a three-day visit to the Union of Comoros and the Republic of Congo.

In a statement to newsrooms, State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said the president would be the chief guest during the 48th anniversary of the Independence Day of the Union of Comoros, at the invitation of President Azali Assouman.

Mozambique

Between 10th to 12th August 2023, the president visited Maputo on a state visit.

China

On October 15, 2023, President Ruto embarked on his first visit to China where he met his Chinese Counterpart Xi Jinping during a three-day tour of Beijing as Nairobi looked to deepen bilateral ties with the East Asian nation.

He also met world leaders and addressed them during The 3rd Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Forum.

Saudi Arabia

Between 24 to 25 October 2023, the president visited Riyadh for a Future Investment Initiative. He revisited the country in November.

United Arab Emirates

On November 30, 2023, President Ruto left the country to attend the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

India

On December 4, 2023, President William Ruto traveled to India for bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He met Indian leaders and discussed strengthening ties in critical sectors including agriculture, trade, investment promotion, and healthcare.

Despite his many visits, the president has defended his overseas trips saying they are a necessary part of his delivery as the Head of State.

He said they have so far brought investments in the country through employment opportunities.

The head of state concluded that he would not shun foreign trips as long as they breed investment opportunities in the country.