Why Ruto is traveling abroad for a fortnight

Deputy President William Ruto. [Courtesy]

Deputy President William Ruto has left the country this morning for a ten-day tour of the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK).

His tour, according to a statement by his head of International relations Ababu Namwamba, seeks to ‘further strengthen ties with the country’s traditional friends and partners.

Ruto left the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport this morning in the company of the head of his Presidential campaign secretariat Governor Josephat Nanok and his Kwale counterpart Salim Mvurya.

In his tour, the DP is set to meet and speak to Kenyans living in the diaspora; the USA as well as in the UK.

However, it is not yet clear who the Deputy President will meet apart from the archbishop of Canterbury, His Grace Justin Welby.

“He is to meet among others, state department officials, the pentagon and US government national security council advisor Condoleezza Rice,’ Ababu had said.

The DP has travelled together with his close aides in his national campaign secretariat. [Courtesy]

“In London, he will meet senior UK government officials, National Counter-Terrorism Center then speak to the commonwealth secretariat, Kenyans in diaspora then pay a courtesy call to archbishop Canterbury, His Grace Justin Welby,”

Justin Portal Welby, 66, is a British bishop who is currently the 105^th Archbishop of Canterbury and the most senior bishop in the Church of England since 2013.

Ruto’s departure comes a day after he was axed as Jubilee Deputy party leader following his rebellion since the March 9, 2018 handshake and his alliance to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party.

When revamping the party, President Uhuru Kenyatta (the party leader) also hinted at endorsing ODM leader Raila Odinga’s presidency after joining the Azimio la Umoja movement.

The president said he would prefer a candidate who has the interests of people at heart as opposed to those who prioritise personal ambitions.