President Ruto Laments About Disrespect of African Leaders in Western Countries

President Ruto has decried the mistreatment of African leaders during foreign trips and international summits outside the continent.

Ruto, who spoke at the Mo Ibrahim Governance Weekend held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), recounted how African leaders were loaded onto buses like school children during a trip he did not disclose.

“It is not intelligent for 54 African Presidents to go and sit before one President from another country for a summit. Sometimes, we are mistreated. We are loaded onto buses like school kids. It is not right,” he said.

Ruto noted that African leaders have resolved to instead send delegates when they are invited to meetings in some Western nations that do not show them respect.

“The decision we have made as AU [African Union] is that going forward, if there is going to be a discussion between Africa and any other country, we would send the chair and the bureau, That is the position I am taking as the President of Kenya,” he added.

During Queen Elizabeth’s funeral ceremony in England last September, Ruto and other African heads of state boarded a bus while those from powerful nations were allowed to ride in their personal vehicles.

For instance, US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden were ferried to the funeral ceremony in the armor-plated Cadillac known as the “Beast”.