×

Kenya's flying President and the high cost Kenyans bear

President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto arrive at the Beijing Capital International Airport in China for the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Summit. The President was received by the Chinese Minister of Industry and Information Technology Mr. Jin Zhuanglong (right )[PCS,Standard]

Kenya’s founding father, the late President Jomo Kenyatta, hated the skies. He hardly flew out and if he had planned to give flying a chance, his last flight must have taken his heart out of flying completely.

Coming back from a Tanzania trip, Kenyatta’s flight had some turbulence. The President ordered the pilot to terminate the journey in Mombasa and opted to travel to Nairobi by train. He never flew again.

Kenyatta’s morbid fear of flying would not let him board an aeroplane, no matter how short the trip was. He preferred to deal with the bumpy roads as he moved across the country.