President William Ruto has counselled that Kenyans need to live within their means. But for his state visit to the United States, his government hired a private jet from an Abu Dhabi-based company for more than Sh200 million.

Ruto’s subsequent defence of his mode of transport paints him in extremely bad light. Upon his return home on Saturday night, he tried to address the concerns of Kenyans, claiming that it was cheaper to take a private jet than fly on the national carrier, Kenya Airways (KQ).

Ruto asserted that “as a responsible steward of public resources”, he was leading by example. That is demonstrably untrue, at least in this case. For starters, whether the cost was Sh200 million or half that amount is not the main issue.

The opportunity cost is significant: the country missed the chance to retain that money, which instead went into a foreign account. KQ also missed the opportunity to showcase itself internationally during Ruto’s much-hyped trip.

It did not escape the public’s attention that figures like COTU secretary-general Francis Atwoli defended Ruto’s choice, claiming that spending Sh200 million on a private jet was justified given the 18 to 20 hours it takes on a normal flight to the US. Atwoli, accustomed to benefiting from the labour of Kenyans without significant scrutiny, further exemplifies the disconnect between leaders and the public.

For a president elected on a “hustler” platform, this is akin to betraying his supporters, especially shortly after hundreds died and thousands were left homeless following heavy rains recently. More importantly, Ruto could still have signed multiple deals with US companies if he had flown with KQ.

Moreover, the Sh200 million would have provided a significant boost for the loss-making KQ, which has struggled for decades to make a proft. The selfish and disappointing move raises fundamental concerns about the level of financial waste in the Kenya Kwanza government and ongoing extravagance, including at the State House, which has been bursting budgets since Ruto took office.

Actions like the hiring of the private jet when Kenyans are supposed to be tightening their belts not only mock Ruto’s calls for austerity in the government but also underscore the urgency of auditing current loans and scrutinising how taxpayer money is being used.