The luxurious private jet hired for President Kenyatta during his recent foreign tour to Japan and Russia may have cost over Sh1 million per hour, it has now emerged.
The Airbus A318-112 (CJ) Elite A6-CAS was hired from Dubai-based Constellation Aviation Services (CAS), according to Citizen Digital and Sunday Nation.
Information by CAS indicates that the jet offers three spacious cabins with sliding partition doors for privacy in addition to VIP lounge, private office, luxurious VIP lavatory, and high-speed internet.
Sunday Nation reported that it costs Sh1.5 million per hour to hire the aircraft, translating to Sh36 million per day.
While the exact amount the government splashed to hire the plane remains unknown, the budget could be in hundreds of millions of shillings given that Kenyatta used it for at least five days.
Uhuru and his delegation first flew to Japan from Mombasa on Sunday, where he attended the Enthronement of Emperor Naruhito, who formally proclaimed his ascension to the throne in an elaborate ceremony that included a series of traditional rituals inside the imperial palace in Tokyo.
The 59-year-old Emperor officially began his reign in May this year after the abdication of his father, the then-Emperor Akihito.
From Tokyo, Kenyatta flew to Sochi, Russia on Wednesday to attend the inaugural Russia-Africa Summit that brought together about 50 African Heads of States.
He returned to the country on Friday at 8:59 pm and the jet was still parked at the presidential pavilion at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Saturday, Sunday Nation reported.
A normal Airbus A318-112 carries up to 200 passengers but the customized version only accommodates 19 people.
