Aldai MP Marianne Kitany has come to the defense of President William Ruto over the sharp rise in his local travel budget, saying the increased expenditure enables him to engage with citizens more effectively.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Tuesday, Kitany justified the Ksh.1.7 billion spent on presidential travel in the first nine months of the 2024/2025 financial year, more than double the Ksh.750 million used during the same period in the previous fiscal year.
“When we increase his budget, he is able to travel and listen to people on the ground,” Kitany said. “Then we start complaining that we are using so much money. When a president travels there is a lot of planning so that they can be able to commit to the people.”
Kitany urged Kenyans to appreciate the logistical and security demands of presidential tours, arguing that Ruto cannot afford to travel “lean” given his role as a symbol of national unity. “He has tried, but you have to appreciate that he is the symbol of national unity, so you need to give protection that is required of a president,” she stated.
However, her comments drew sharp criticism from Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba, who accused the President of extravagance under the guise of public engagement. Wamuchomba claimed Ruto once arrived in her constituency with nine helicopters—a journey she says could have taken just 12 minutes by road from Nairobi’s CBD.
“She is very aware that the President comes to lecture us,” Wamuchomba said. “He came to my constituency in nine helicopters to come and lecture me for saying NO to the Finance Bill. Is that what you call listening?”
President Ruto, who rejected the controversial Finance Bill on June 26, had pledged to enforce austerity measures amid growing public discontent. Critics now argue that his ballooning travel budget contradicts that commitment.
The debate over the President’s travel spending comes amid heightened scrutiny of government expenditure and rising economic pressures facing ordinary Kenyans.
Written By Rodney Mbua
