President Ruto: I can account for every shilling used on foreign travel

President William Ruto speaks during a media briefing with journalists on Sunday, December 17 at State House.

President William Ruto claims he can account for every shilling he has used on foreign travel since he assumed office.

The president, who was speaking on Sunday, December 17 during a media briefing, said he has been travelling to different countries to salvage Kenya from going over the cliff on debt.

Additionally, Ruto said he has been seeking job opportunities for the Kenyan youth during his international trips.

His response follows heavy critism from a section of Kenyans who have put the president on the spot for the amount of money used during the trips.

"Have I travelled more than the former President [Uhuru Kenyatta]? Yes. I have travelled not as a tourist, I have travelled to sort out the matters of Kenya. Would you rather I sit in Nairobi and see Kenya go down or would you rather I go to South Korea to sort out the problem you see in our electricity space?" he posed.

He added; "Would you rather I sit here or I look for bilateral agreements that will give Kenyans an opportunity to work abroad and to work at home on digital jobs? This is what a President is supposed to do and I can account for every shilling I have spent on my travel."

In October, the government enacted stringent restrictions on foreign travel for its officials with an aim of allocating resources more prudently.

The restrictions applied to a wide range of categories, including benchmarking and study visits, training and capacity-building initiatives, research endeavours, academic gatherings and symposia, conferences and general participation meetings, side events, showcase exhibitions, and caucus and association meetings and events.

According to the Controller of Budget reports, the president has used Sh357 million on foreign travel.