William Ruto Says Kenyans Going To Work Abroad Will Strengthen The Currency: "Wataleta Madollar"

• President William Ruto affirmed to the public that his numerous trips out of the country are not for luxury excursions but for the growth of the nation
• Ruto slammed leaders condemning his international trips, arguing that they do not understand the plans the government has for reinstating exchange rates
• According to Ruto, through overseas opportunities, Kenya will hit a record of KSh 10 billion in diaspora remittances every year

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

President William Ruto has defended his endless foreign trips, stating that they are tailored towards bettering the economy.

Why is Ruto securing jobs abroad?

During his speech at St. Paul's Kiriita-Kimeende Lari on Sunday, December 10, the president underlined the importance of his international trips in saving the country's currency, which is experiencing a gradual devaluation.

According to the government, his overseas travels, which primarily aim at finding job opportunities, will align well with the government's plans to reinstate exchange rates through the inflow of diaspora remittances.

"Right now, there are those going to Israel this month, and another team will travel in the next month. Those going abroad will bring us dollars to deal with the exchange rates. Is there a problem with working in Israel for a salary between KSh 100,000 and 150,000?" posed the president.

He added:

"We want this country to move forward through hard work and a lot of Kenyans in employment. We want to increase our diaspora remittances from KSh 4 billion to KSh 10 billion every year."

Ruto blasts Raila for criticising his trips

Ruto was responding to opposition leader Raila Odinga, who had called on him to cut travel costs by KSh 500 billion.

Raila, leading the Azimio coalition, urged the president to prioritise job creation in the country over the further development of already-developed states.

However, the former prime minister's pleas would not yield any fruit after the president pledged to continue the trips and take thousands of youth abroad for greener pastures.

"You have heard that I travel the world. I do it according to plans. I am not a tourist. I saw Raila objecting to thousands being taken to work abroad. Did he prefer them to stay here? We still have a significant number of people seeking foreign employment opportunities, so it's not the right time to begin complaining," said Ruto.

From September 2022 to mid-November, the head of state has gone on 51 trips in 34 countries.