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In Kenya, President William Ruto uses an official presidential jet, a Fokker 70 ER acquired in 1995 and operated by the Kenya Air Force, to travel around the world. Despite criticism for his exorbitant and superfluous grand tours, Ruto has always argued that he travels abroad to seek opportunities for jobless Kenyans or extend Kenya’s diplomatic ties with other nations.
However, a recent revelation has cast these justifications into doubt, exposing a grand betrayal of Kenya’s sovereignty and environmental integrity.
Ruto’s Million-Dollar Boeing Jet: A Gift from the UAE
President William Ruto last week embarked on a state visit to the United States, courtesy of the United Arab Emirates taxpayers. The government in Abu Dhabi chartered a luxurious Boeing Business Jet, operated by Royal Jet and led by Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, to transport Ruto from Nairobi to Atlanta, Washington DC, and back to Nairobi via Casablanca, Morocco. This information, disclosed by State House Kenya, came in response to mounting pressure from Kenyans demanding transparency.
The decision to reveal the external entity that chartered the jet for the Kenyan leader has sparked controversy and raised concerns regarding accountability. The unprecedented American trip, marking the first visit to the White House by an African president since 2008, was overshadowed by this questionable decision.
The Cost of Extravagance: A Monumental Breach of Trust
Despite hailing from a developing country, Ruto chartered a special jet costing millions of shillings to seek development aid from the United States. Critics argue that the denial and evasive answers, which garnered international attention, lacked credibility and sounded implausible. They assert that this has seriously tarnished the president’s reputation and standing on the global stage.
During this week's National Prayer Breakfast, Ruto was forced to disclose that the trip cost Kenyan taxpayers less than KSh 10 million. "I am a very responsible steward believe you me. There is no way I can spend Sh200 million. In fact, it cost the Republic of Kenya less than KSh 10 million. I am not a mad man. When I was told the cheapest plane was KSh 70 million, I told my office to go and book Kenya Airways...some friends asked me how much I wanted to pay. I said I wasn’t ready to pay more than KSh 10 million. They told me to bring the money and they gave me the plane,” explained Ruto. This amount allegedly covered the cost to Kenyan taxpayers for chartering a jet that could have exceeded KSh 200 million, with the remainder covered by Ruto’s “friends.” Figures why William Ruto is constantly in the UAE.INTERMISSION: The Prime Minister of Iceland chose the very same "expensive" Kenya Airways for his state visit to Malawi on the very same day!
The Blue Carbon Deception: Conceding Kenya’s Land
In November last year, a Dubai-based firm, Blue Carbon, signed a framework of collaboration (FOC) with Kenya’s State Department of Environment and Climate Change, conceding "millions of hectares" of Kenyan territory for the production of carbon credits.
These credits, supposedly generated from restoring and protecting the land, would be sold to major polluters to offset their emissions. This arrangement is not just environmentally dubious; it is a blatant violation of Kenyan land laws and the rights of its people.Founded only a year ago, Blue Carbon has no experience managing carbon offset projects. It is led by Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum, whose close ties to the UAE royal family, heavily invested in oil and gas infrastructure, raise concerns that the firm’s deals could be used to offset the Emirates’ own emissions.
Displacing Kenyan Communities for Profit
The real victims of these deals are the Kenyan communities whose lands are being usurped.
Kenya’s land laws recognise customary land ownership, yet these laws are conveniently overlooked when lucrative government projects are at stake. Hundreds of members of the Ogiek community in the Mau Forest have already faced evictions to make way for carbon offsetting projects.
The Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) has similarly displaced pastoralist communities, deploying armed security forces that have perpetrated serious human rights abuses there. The abundant resources of the oil-rich Abu Dhabi-led government under Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan only add to the complexity. Just a week before the President’s trip to the UAE at the beginning of May, Abu Dhabi allocated KSh 2 billion in aid for flood victims in Kenya. Joining the dots now with the benefit of hindsight, this sequence of events raises the question: What are Abu Dhabi’s true interests in Kenya?
Environmental Hypocrisy and Economic Subjugation
Ruto’s environmental doublespeak is a thinly veiled attempt to mask the economic subjugation of Kenya. While professing a commitment to climate action, his government is undermining the very communities that depend on the land for their livelihood.
The African Climate Summit in September saw the UAE commit $450 million to carbon offset projects in Africa, a figure that underscores their intent to dominate the continent's carbon market. This so-called investment is nothing more than a modern-day land grab, with African leaders complicit in the exploitation of their nations. Leading this charge is William Ruto, Africa's self-appointed Climate Change Champion.
It's Time To Defend Kenya’s Sovereignty
President Ruto’s actions are a monumental breach of trust and a betrayal of Kenya’s sovereignty. The concession of millions of hectares of land for a luxurious plane ride is an affront to every Kenyan. It is imperative that we, as a nation, demand accountability and transparency from Ruto's government. Kenya’s land and resources are not for sale, and the well-being of its communities must take precedence over the interests of foreign investors and corrupt officials.
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