This archive report was first published on 27 October 2019.
President Uhuru Kenyatta's recent trip to Japan and Tokyo has raised eyebrows over the cost of the luxurious Airbus 318 Elite jet he used. According to reports, the plane can be hired for Ksh1.5 million per hour or Ksh36 million a day.
Flight records show that the plane, with registration number A6-CAS, arrived in Mombasa on Sunday, October 20, and left the same day at 8:24 p.m. It then made a stopover in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to refuel before flying to Tokyo.
The jet, which can carry up to 200 passengers, boasts of an entourage lounge, a VIP dining area, a VIP lounge, a VIP bedroom, a private office, a surround sound system, LCD televisions, a satellite telecommunications system, and high-speed internet.
While the exact cost of hiring the jet is not clear, it is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions, given that the president was away for five days.
President Kenyatta used the jet to travel to Japan and Tokyo between Sunday, October 20, and Friday, October 25. He attended the Russia Africa Summit in Russia on Wednesday, October 23, before flying back to Kenya on Friday, October 25.
