Deputy President William Ruto is set to leave for the United States of America (USA) and United Kingdom (UK) for 10 days.
The second-in-command will leave the country on Sunday.
In a letter seen by this writer, Kenyans in the diaspora have expressed their reservations about Ruto’s visit.
Global chairman for Kenya Diaspora Alliance Dr Shem Ochoudho said they were apprehensive about what the DP represents as a leader.
Dr Ochoudho gave seven instances in which the DP had fallen short of being a good representation of a leader.
He noted that Dr Ruto was a diplomatic threat to the Kenya – US relations and the larger international community.
He gave an example of when the DP caused a stir online when he claimed there the DR Congo did not have cows.
“We have a market in DR Congo… these people who are singers… These people have a population of about 90 million but they don’t own any cow,” said the DP.
The matter, though put to rest now, caused a frenzy especially on Twitter with Ms Francine Muyumba, a senator in Congo, condemning the utterances.
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In 2014, Dr Ochoudho continued, Ruto who is seeking to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta in August, expressed contempt for then US President Barack Obama.
The matter, the Diaspora Alliance chair said, was resolved by President Kenyatta’s men.
Another reason why those in diaspora are against the visit is the fact that Ruto is a person of interest in the International Criminal Court.
The DP had been charged with three crimes against humanity: murder, deportation or forcible transfer of population, and persecution, allegedly committed during the 2007-2008 post-election violence in Kenya.
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The case was, however, terminated on April 5, 2016.
Further, Dr Ochoudho said, the DP is a security threat over his association with Turkish terror suspect Harun Aydin.
Aydin was arrested after DP Ruto’s trip to Uganda was aborted in August last year. The foreigner has since been deported.
Those in diaspora also claim that the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) leader has an insatiable appetite for public funds.
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“He is also known for sabotaging the government’s war on corruption,” he added.
The DP is also said to conduct campaigns riddled with hate speech.
Dr Ochoudho also accused the DP of introducing divisive class politics.
In Washington, Ruto is scheduled to meet, among others, officials of the State Department and the Pentagon as well as the US Government National Security Council Advisor.
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“He will also speak at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and at the University of Arizona’s Washington Entrepreneurship Hub,” said Presidential Campaign Head of International Relations Ababu Namwamba.
In London, Ruto will meet senior UK Government officials, visit the National Counter-Terrorism Center and speak at both the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Royal Institute of International Affairs.
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