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Ruto boards private jet once again in luxurious flight to Italy

A file photo of VT-CMR Embraer Legacy 600. (Photo: Courtesy)

By Mwangi Maina | Friday, June 14, 2024

He flew aboard an Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 600, a private jet chartered from VSR Ventures, an aviation consultancy company based in New Delhi, India.

Even before the controversy over the "Arab friends" luxury jet used during his state visit to the United States was resolved, Kenyan President William Ruto, who rose to power as the "hustler-in-chief" by capitalising on his religious faith and humble beginnings selling chicken and eggs by the roadside, is at it again.

Ruto left Nairobi for the G7 meeting in Italy on Thursday evening, shortly after Kenya's Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung'u presented the budget, which emphasised austerity measures to curb excessive wastage.

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He flew aboard an Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 600 registration VT-CMR (#801425), a private jet chartered from VSR Ventures, an aviation consultancy company based in New Delhi, India.

The entity describes itself as one that "maximises time efficiency" for its clients.

From Nairobi to Italy, with a refuelling stop in Port Ghalib, Marsa Alam, along Egypt's southern Red Sea Coast, the heavy jet flew on flight radar with an "NA" identification and no registration number.

This typically means the flight details are intentionally obscured for privacy or security reasons, often to protect the identities of high-profile passengers or sensitive cargo.

This is common with luxury charters, as tracking an unknown aircraft can be a significant challenge.

The Eastleigh Voice team, along with collaborator Johnny Gemini, a seasoned plane spotter who enjoys "solving air mysteries," spent the better part of Thursday midnight and Friday morning trying to determine if President Ruto indeed used a private jet.

Although Flight Radar failed to capture the plane's identity, open-source data can often be circumvented, except in areas with no reception.

President Wiliam Ruto flew an Indian-registered private jet with registration VT-CMR (#801425) from Nairobi to Bari, Italy on June 13, 2024. (Photo: Courtesy)

The Eastleigh Voice can authoritatively confirm that the Kenyan leader, known for his lavish style, used a private jet chartered from India and landed at Bari International Airport on the Adriatic coast of Italy on Friday.

The jet took off from Chennai International Airport in eastern India and flew to Nairobi on Wednesday afternoon.

The flight duration from Chennai to Nairobi on a direct flight is approximately six to seven hours.

The hourly charter rates for a Legacy 600 private jet start at $6,200 (Sh798,250) to $7,000 (Sh901,250).

However, these rates can vary based on factors such as the distance and duration of the trip.

The flight from Nairobi, Kenya to Bari, Italy, on a Legacy 600 private jet is approximately seven to eight hours, depending on the specific route and weather conditions.

The jet has a maximum range of approximately 3,250 nautical miles (6,019 kilometres). This means it can stay in the air for roughly six to seven hours.

However, the Fokker 70 Extended Range (ER), the Kenyan presidential jet, has a maximum flight range of approximately 4,000 kilometres with 26 passengers.

Its endurance, or how long it can stay in the air, would depend on factors like payload, fuel reserves, and cruising speed, but it can typically fly for around 5 hours without refuelling.

This means that the Presidential jet, like the private jet, could make the trip to Italy with just one refuelling stop.