Editor's Review

"On one side they say you travel too much and again they complain that you have stopped me from travelling; that you have assigned me useless duties."

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has come to the defence of President William Ruto following criticism regarding his foreign travels that have been described as more expensive compared to that of former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Gachagua who was addressing the nation from State House, Nairobi on Monday, June 19, said the President's trips, though expensive, have had a significant impact on the Kenyan economy.

"Yesterday (Sunday, June 18)  morning I found another headline that you have spent three times what your predecessor has spent on local and international travel," the DP said.

The signing of the EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement at State House, Nairobi on Monday, June 19.

"But these people were not objective enough to outline the level of activities you have carried out during that period. Cost is determined by the level of activities. I, therefore, invite the media to find out when the president has travelled and which country, what is the gain for the country? It is then that you can make an objective analysis."

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A report by the Nation indicated that President Ruto has spent more than three times what Uhuru spent for the first eight months he has been in office.

Gachagua defended Ruto saying his travel was necessitated by the need to turn around the economy that has been facing challenges by the time he took over.

"As you took the reins of the country, you found the economy in a quagmire. You have taken a two-faced approach; One is to harness revenue collection locally and number two is to reach out to international friends and partners to harness resources for this country's development," Gachagua added.

He asked the President to keep travelling broadly to bring resources to Kenya for development.

" I don't understand these people sometimes. They complain you are travelling too much at the same time they complain that I am not travelling. I don't know which is which. On one side they say you travel too much and again they complain that you have stopped me from travelling; that you have assigned me useless duties," he said. 

Gachagua was speaking during the EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement briefing, at State House, Nairobi on Monday, June 19.