US President Barack Obama's trip to Kenya in July 2015 was expected to cost US taxpayers approximately $60 million, according to Professor Robert Rotberg.
Professor Rotberg stated that the high cost is due to the need for a massive security operation because of the Al Shabaab threat in Kenya. He suggested that Obama should call off the trip because it is "too costly for nothing".
When the US President travels, his entourage includes a large number of staff, vehicles, and equipment. This includes Air Force One, a motorcade of armor-plated vehicles, such as the President's bullet-proof limo known as "The Beast", a military ambulance, and communication vans packed with state-of-the-art high-tech machinery.
In addition to the vehicles and equipment, Obama's travel party includes over 250 Secret Service agents, dozens of advisers, a team of sniffer dogs, and a dozen White House cooks.
