Controversial Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo has revealed an unusual moment from Charlene Ruto’s traditional wedding celebrations, after President William Ruto personally drove him and his wife to their waiting helicopter.
Chivayo was leaving the ceremony at Ruto’s expansive property in Kilgoris, Narok County, when the President offered to chauffeur the couple for about three kilometres to the helipad.
Instead of using an official driver, Ruto took the wheel of a Toyota Land Cruiser 300, with Chivayo seated in the front passenger seat and his wife at the back.
Chivayo, who has cultivated a close relationship with the Kenyan President, described the experience as one of the most memorable moments of his life.
“Imagine me sitting in the front PASSENGER SEAT with my wife at the back while the PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA, the HEAD OF STATE himself, was behind the steering wheel personally driving me to the chopper!” Chivayo wrote on social media.
PRICELESS MOMENTS IN EAST AFRICA...????
— sir_wicknell. (@wicknellchivayo) August 10, 2026
After attending the beautiful engagement celebration of the daughter of His Excellency, President William Samoei Ruto, I honestly thought the day could not get any more special. As I was leaving i then realised GOD had reserved one more… pic.twitter.com/QlRYXljvJJ
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“I sat there overwhelmed with JOY, thinking, ‘GOD, WHAT KIND OF GRACE IS THIS?’ I've lived large and had many different and exceptionally beautiful experiences in my OPULENT lifestyle, but certainly THIS WAS A FIRST,” he added.
Chivayo went on to praise Ruto’s humility, saying the short journey had become a “MEMORY OF A LIFETIME”.
“Your Excellency, your HUMILITY is unmatched and thank you again and always for the genuine love, kindness you have shown me as your own child,” he wrote.
The gesture stands out because it is highly unconventional for a sitting Head of State to personally drive friends, associates or visiting dignitaries.
Presidential movements are ordinarily governed by elaborate security and protocol arrangements, with trained drivers, protection officers and motorcades handling the movement of a president.
Ruto, however, has repeatedly shown a willingness to take the wheel himself, particularly in informal settings.
In December 2024, he hosted Ghana’s then President-elect John Mahama and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga at his Kilgoris residence, where he drove the duo around before the leaders held informal talks.
In 2025, footage also emerged of Ruto driving himself along the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway while commenting on the state of the road.
A year later, footage showed him driving outgoing Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud around his Kilgoris ranch in a Polaris off-road vehicle.
The latest unusual ride comes against the backdrop of growing scrutiny around Chivayo’s activities and his proximity to Kenya’s political establishment.
The Harare-based businessman recently attracted attention over reports linking his company, IMC Construction Kenya, to a proposed Sh375 billion ($2.9 billion) expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The reported deal triggered questions about procurement transparency and Chivayo’s relationship with senior government figures.
However, the government subsequently denied that Chivayo’s company had participated in the JKIA tender, with Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir saying the firm was not part of the bidding process.
Chivayo’s appearance at the President’s private family celebration nevertheless adds another public glimpse into the businessman’s relationship with Ruto.