Ruto leaves for Queen Elizabeth II's burial in UK, UN meeting in New York

President William Ruto makes his first international trip. [ Source: William Ruto, Twitter]

President William Ruto left the country on Sunday afternoon, for his first international trip since his inauguration on Tuesday, September 13, 2022.

The president will make his first stop in London, United Kingdom, for the burial of the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II before proceeding to the United States a day or two later.

Ruto is travelling alongside his wife and the first lady, mama Racheal Ruto.

An article by the Washington Post has indicated that nearly 200 leaders of countries and territories across the globe will be flying into London for the burial.

This means that President Ruto and his wife might be taking commercial flights to London because of the complexity of scheduling landing slots all around the same time.

The Washington Post reports that almost every country or territory with diplomatic relations with Britain was invited. However, a number of countries including Russia, Belarus and Myanmar, have declined the invite over the Ukraine war and human rights abuses.

Others, like Iran, North Korea and Nicaragua, were invited to send an ambassador, but not their head of state.

The invitation includes a reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by King Charles III on Sunday night and another reception immediately after the funeral.

Olena Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, is attending, but her husband is expected not to.

Upon arrival, the leaders will be directed to a place in west London, where they will park their private cars.

On the day of the funeral, the heads of state and their partners will arrive at Westminster Abbey in escorted coaches from a location in west London, Politico reports.

After the burial, the heads of state will be taken back to their holding area, where they will be allowed to take their cars to the airport.

President Ruto will then proceed to New York, for the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York later this week.

The assembly will run for a week from September 20 up to September 26, 2022.

The UN General Assembly is the main policy-making organ of the organisation. It has 193 member states, each with an equal vote.

It provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations.

While the president is away, his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua will steer the country's operations.