People’s Liberation Party leader and former Justice Minister Martha Karua has criticized President William Ruto’s frequent foreign travels, arguing that the trips place an unnecessary financial burden on taxpayers and offer little tangible benefit to ordinary Kenyans.

Speaking during a televised interview on Sunday, June 14, 2026, Karua claimed Ruto had travelled abroad more often than any of his predecessors and questioned the government’s justification that the visits are aimed at attracting investment and development opportunities.

“I think he is the president who has gone out too many times,” Karua said. “He does not like to travel with Kenya Airways. He travels using expensive jets, which we can hardly afford.”

The opposition leader challenged the government to provide a detailed accounting of the costs associated with the president’s foreign trips, including the size of delegations accompanying him, and compare them with the benefits generated from the visits.

“When his people say that he goes to bring goodies, they can give us the cost of his travel and entourage, and the totals of the pretended goodies,” she said.

Karua further suggested that some of the foreign trips are strategically timed to shift public attention away from pressing domestic issues.

“His travel sometimes is to divert attention when things are happening,” she claimed.

The former presidential candidate also took issue with what she described as the president’s active involvement in diplomatic affairs, saying it appeared to overlap with the responsibilities of the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.

“I haven’t seen a president with a minister of foreign affairs who wants to do the job of foreign affairs,” Karua said. “Perhaps he should cede the presidency and become the minister for foreign affairs.”

Ruto has consistently defended his international engagements, maintaining that they are aimed at strengthening Kenya’s diplomatic ties, attracting foreign direct investment, securing development financing and expanding market access for Kenyan products abroad.

Government officials have previously argued that the president’s overseas visits have yielded significant economic and strategic benefits, including investment commitments, bilateral agreements and partnerships in sectors such as infrastructure, energy, technology and agriculture.

However, Ruto’s travel record has remained a subject of political debate, with critics questioning the frequency and cost of the trips amid economic challenges facing many Kenyans, including the high cost of living and rising public debt concerns.

Karua’s remarks add to growing scrutiny from opposition leaders who have increasingly called on the government to prioritize domestic issues and demonstrate greater transparency in public spending.