Why Biden Used Motorcade To Queen Elizabeth Funeral And Ruto Did Not
The back seats had leaders that were ferried to the venue, with Aide de Camp Brigadier Timothy Lekolool not present alongside Ruto
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A debate ensued after photos emerged of President William Ruto riding on a bus to Westminister Abbey, to attend the funeral service of Queen Elizabeth II in London, England and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, using his armoured presidential limousine.
Images seen by Viral Tea showed Ruto seated alongside First Lady, Mama Rachel Ruto, and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu seated right in front of Mama Rachel.
The back seats had leaders that were ferried to the venue, with Aide de Camp Brigadier Timothy Lekolool not present alongside Ruto, despite touching down with him in the United Kingdom (UK).
President William Ruto riding to Queen Elizabeth's funeral aboard a bus and US counterpart, Joe Biden travelling in his armoured motorcade to the same destination. /VIRALTEAKE
Ruto then made his way into the church in a procession consisting of other world leaders after attending a reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by King Charles III.
He arrived in London onbaord a commercial plane on September 18 and was welcomed by a delegation led by Kenya's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Manoah Esipisu.
Amidst strict rules barring world leaders from using their own cars to attend the funeral, Biden was the only president allowed to use his motorcade dubbed 'The Beast' the fortified presidential limousine, in a reduced motorcade of six vehicles.
This is for security reasons as the armoured vehicle has the capacity to withstand gas attacks for instance.
The vehicle, a Cadillac, also features run-flat tires, night-vision devices, smoke screens, and oil slicks as defensive measures against attackers, despite this being one of the most protected events on the planet.
It was expected that up to 100 heads of government or state would attend the funeral, dwarfing the estimated 50 who attended the late Nelson Mandela’s memorial. It is believed to be the biggest gathering of world leaders in history.
Meanwhile, President Ruto was moments away from cancelling his trip to the UK amidst the work that was pending in the country, just days after he was sworn in as Kenya's fifth Head of State.
“We had a very difficult decision to make whether President Ruto was to travel 3 or 4 days after being sworn in but after weighing the pros and cons and the importance of going to the United Nations General Assembly, he (Ruto) was of the opinion that it was a very important trip.
“Again you know our history with Queen Elizabeth II, she became queen in this country and you know our traditional relationship with the United Kingdom spanning over 6 decades. Therefore it became very necessary that, despite the fact that he has a lot to do here at home, it was necessary to go to the UK and proceed to New York,” Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said in an interview on KTN News on Sunday, September 18.
One of Ruto's key assignments, when he returns, is to appoint Cabinet Secretaries (CS) and Principal Secretaries (PS), a process expected to take three to four weeks.
President William Ruto arriving in the United Kingdom for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. /WILLIAM RUTO
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