President Ruto’s US visit for the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) summit in New York has attracted significant attention.
He departed from Nairobi for New York on Saturday, September 19, and arrived on Sunday, September 20.
The president is expected to hold talks with various world leaders and take part in meetings involving technology, development, and multinational cooperation.
Security detail
Like all state visits, President Ruto’s current visit to the US is held with utmost security measures.
The president’s protection is handled by the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), responsible for protecting foreign dignitaries who visit the US.
DSS is responsible for providing security services to foreign ministers, former presidents, members of the British Royal Family, security heads of the United Nations and NATO, the Pope, and other foreign VIPs.
For high-level events such as UNGA summits, DSS coordinates with other security agencies such as the New York Police Department, the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Marshals Service to secure the streets of New York.
With UNGA being the largest annual diplomatic meeting in the world, the DSS is there to ensure that the president and his entourage’s security is not compromised.
DSS has over 600 special agents who have been assigned to protect the president, ambassadors, ministers, and other dignitaries in his entourage.
The Presidential Motorcade
President Ruto’s motorcade in the US during the current UNGA summit is comprised of armoured vehicles and contracted New York-based executive transportation fleets.
The fleets include luxury SUVs, executive vans, and sedans.
These vehicles are provided by executive chauffeur companies based in New York, private contractors, and other companies that specialize in VIP and diplomatic transportation.
Vehicles commonly offered for heads of delegation include Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the Maybach, Cadillac Escalade ESV, BMW 7 Series, and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans.
In Kenya, President Ruto’s motorcade is comprised of 20-25 SUVs, which include outriders and communication vehicles. Most of the vehicles are Toyota Land Cruisers and Lexus SUVs.
The Aircraft Used for the Journey
For the ongoing 81st UNGA summit, reports indicate that President Ruto was accompanied by First Lady Rechael Ruto, the presidential communication team, a security detail, presidential advisors, as well as other high-profile dignitaries.
While he normally uses the Fokker 70ER aircraft when attending such regional visits, it is unlikely that he used the aircraft for this year’s visit.
The Office of the President has previously complained about the aircraft’s need for constant refuelling when undertaking long journeys such as the Kenya-US visit.
The journey from Kenya to the US can take as long as 15 hours, depending on weather conditions and the route used.
In 2024, the president used a chartered Boeing business jet for his US state visit, although reports allege that he connected the aircraft arrangement with the UAE and Royal Jet
After the visit, the president stated that “friends of Kenya” had subsidised the aircraft and that the public contribution was below KSh10 million.
Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing’Oei stated that the president is expected to use the 2026 UNGA summit to lobby for the appointment of several Kenyans to select United Nations positions.