On Friday evening, President William Ruto departed the country to attend a significant conference in Congo Brazzaville.
The event, known as the Summit of the Three Basins, Biodiversity Ecosystems, and Tropical Forests, saw Ruto join his counterparts from across the continent.
He arrived in Brazzaville via Kenya Airways and was warmly welcomed by officials from the host nation, as captured in videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke.
The conference, taking place from Thursday, October 26, to Saturday, October 28, congregated leaders from tropical forest basins worldwide.
A statement from the Official account of the Presidency of the Republic of Congo announced Ruto’s participation in the event, specifically in the presidential segment scheduled for Saturday, October 28, 2023.
During his visit, President Ruto engaged in a closed-door meeting with fellow leaders on Saturday, discussing pertinent matters concerning the tropical forest basins.
Notably, this trip followed closely on the heels of his return from the Future Investment Initiative at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, underscoring the President’s active role on the international stage.
This international engagement transpired against the backdrop of concerns about government expenditure on foreign travel. Addressing these concerns, President Ruto took decisive action by ordering a significant reduction in the travel budget of all government institutions.
He clarified that the reduction amounted to Ksh11 billion, a move aimed at streamlining government spending.
The President’s directive came in response to a report by the Auditor General on the 2022/2023 budget, which highlighted substantial expenditures on domestic and foreign travel. Government institutions had spent Ksh20.37 billion on travel, with the Office of the President accounting for Ksh361.77 million allocated for foreign trips.
This budget cut reflects the government’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and prudent financial management.
