A statement attributed to Kenya Airways CEO Allan Kilavuka regarding the airline’s cost of travel to the US has been branded as fake by the airline.
Kenya Airways has denied making such a statement and flagged it as fake on its social media platforms.
The false statement contradicted President William Ruto’s assertion that traveling to the US on a private jet was significantly cheaper than hiring a Kenya Airways plane.
President Ruto clarified on Sunday that the cost of his travel to the US was much less than what would have been spent using a Kenya Airways plane. He traveled aboard an A6-RJU royal jet, which he also used for his return journey.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, the President addressed concerns from Kenyans about why he did not use the presidential jet or a Kenya Airways plane for his State Visit to the US. He explained that his choice was based on the prudent use of state resources.
“Fellow Kenyans, I have noted concerns about my mode of transport to the USA. As a responsible steward of public resources and in keeping with my determination for us to live within our means and that I should lead from the front in so doing, the cost was less than travelling on KQ,” Ruto said.
However, Ruto did not specify the cost of the hired jet compared to what would have been spent using a Kenya Airways plane.
A State House official previously informed the Star that the presidential jet was not used because it has never been to the US since it was acquired in the 1990s. The official noted that the jet is designed to operate effectively in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
State House Press Secretary Emmanuel Talam was quoted by local media saying the plane could not be used as “it will have to stop five times to refuel.”
Multiple reports estimate that hiring a Boeing business jet like the one Ruto used for his visit to the US costs around $18,000 per hour, approximately Sh2,358,000. A journey to Atlanta, US, where Ruto first stopped, is about 19 hours from Kenya, which would cost around Sh71,404,500 at that rate.
The jet which was used for President William Ruto’s trip to the USA is a chartered Boeing 737-700 business jet operated by Royal Jet of Dubai.
Earlier, the US embassy denied paying for President Ruto’s travel to the US.
“Just to be clear: The United States of America DID NOT pay for President Ruto’s jet to the U.S,” U.S. Embassy-Nairobi spokesperson Andrew Veveiros told local media.
