'I'm Kenya's chief diplomat, not a tourist': Ruto defends his frequent travels

Speaking during a town hall meeting with Kenyans living and working in Scandinavia in Helsinki, Finland, President Ruto dismissed claims that his travel schedule is excessive or unnecessary, insisting that his role requires sustained diplomatic engagement abroad.

“I was looking at one of the headlines in the newspaper that William Ruto is travelling again. I wish they knew the kind of schedule that I have. I have not come here as a tourist or to waste time; I have come here to make sure we have achieved certain things. Just for the record, I am the chief diplomat of our country. People want to know what Kenya stands for,” the President said.

He emphasised that his foreign trips are aimed at advancing Kenya’s diplomatic, trade, and investment interests, arguing that global engagement is central to his administration’s economic transformation agenda. According to him, maintaining Kenya’s position on the international stage requires consistent high-level engagement with global partners, investors, and diaspora communities.

The remarks come against a backdrop of sustained public debate and political criticism over the scale and cost of the President’s international travel since taking office.

The Controller of Budget (CoB), in its nine-month expenditure report covering July 2025 to March 2026, flagged continued high spending on foreign travel within the national government. State House emerged as one of the top spenders, second only to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with Ksh.1.3 billion spent on foreign travel and Ksh.69 million on local travel during the period.

State House is among the lead spenders on foreign travel, only second to the Foreign Affairs Department. It spent Ksh.1.3 billion on foreign travel and Ksh.69 million on local travel.

The Office of the Deputy President spent Ksh. 76 million on foreign travel and Ksh. 222 million on domestic travel during the same period.

The President jetted back to the country last night from a three-nation European tour, during which he made official visits to Belgium, Norway, and Finland.