Government Refutes Claims That DP Ruto Has Hired Luxury Jet Worth Sh100M

Yesterday, The Sunday Nation published a story purporting that the office of the Deputy President has hired a luxury jet that would cost the taxpayer KSh100 million. This matter generated a lot of debate especially on social media where the public vent their discontent about it.

However, in a statement to the press, the Government contested the claim by the newspaper terming it “inaccurate, false, exaggerated, malicious, in bad faith”. Here’s part of the statement;

As we all know, there are hardly any scheduled or commercial connecting flights between the capitals the Deputy President and his delegation has visited. A Commercial flight would have cost more because it would entail circuitous and torturous trips to European capitals and back in just to pick up connecting flights. The Deputy President was very conscious of this fact. In fact, by chartering the flight, the Deputy President has been able to realize this at a very cost-effective means.

We thus find the lead story published in the Sunday Nation today, May 19, 2013 inaccurate, false, exaggerated, malicious, in bad faith and intended to pursue interests that are narrow, selfish and hardly beneficial to this nation. It is disturbing that the neither the Deputy President nor any of his officers was afforded an opportunity – as journalistic practice of fairness and partiality dictates – to give his side of the story ahead of its publishing.

The article has no scintilla of truth. It is a fabrication; a concoction. It is slanted with very obvious intentions. It is intended to bring disrepute to the person and the office of the Deputy President.

For the record, there is no contract of one-year lease between Kenya and VistaJet, as the story purports. The plane was hired on a one-off basis at a cost of KShs18.5 million. This figure is in fact less than that quoted by local companies, which was KShs19 million. Those interested can confirm this with the company.

According to official records of similar trips in the past it would have cost upto KShs15 million for a travel to a single country. If the Deputy President had used the traditional one trip at a time like his predecessors, it would have cost more and months to complete.

The facility was recommended on the basis of safety and security of the Deputy President as it was used before by the Government. Previously, the same facility was hired for a similar trip and cost KShs29 million.

The Deputy President was a state guest to the countries and did not therefore incur any other of the taxpayers’ funds.