High cost of living ni wewe! Ruto acquires brand new fuel guzzler
Kenya is currently going through historic highs in the cost of living.
Kenyans continue to struggle to make ends meet in an economy where President William Ruto and his Kenya Kwanza government introduced new and increased existent taxes to historic highs.
This is despite the Head of State making campaign promises that he would lower the cost of living for Kenyans should he win. He continues to do the exact opposite in extreme measures.
Already, under his rule, the Kenyan shilling weakened to historic lows against the American dollar, currently exchanging for Sh 150.20, thus losing about a third of its value.
And while Kenyans struggle to put food on the table, educate their children, pay their bills and scrape for some savings, President Ruto does not seem to either recognize or feel the pinch of this tough economy.
So much so that within a few months, he dropped an extra Sh 25 million to purchase a fuel guzzler, weeks after touting Kenya would push for the use of electric vehicles as part of its climate change responsibility.
On October 20, 2023, photos emerged of President Ruto being ferried in a Sh 25 million Toyota Landcruiser 300 V6 3.3D ZX series- and the cost is estimated to be higher to pay for any security modifications it may have undergone to be fit for presidential use.
According to the CFAO Motors Toyota official website, the 300 series was released a few months ago in January 2023. This new generation boasts of twin turbocharged petrol or diesel 3.3L V6 engines with an average fuel consumption of 12.1 and 8.9 liters per 100 kilometers respectively. It has an automatic 10-speed transmission capable of accelerating to 4000 rotations per minute. Its top speed is 210 km/h.
The vehicle seats seven people on power-operated leather seats which come with power adjustments, heating and ventilation. The third row of seats has a power capability that allows them to be folded up with the push of a button while the second row of seats may split 40:20:40. The overall boot space is 250 mm wider than its predecessor when the third row is folded flat.
For the price of Sh 25 million, the vehicle comes with safety features including crash-avoidance and pre-collision systems and Multi-Terrain Select System. The 7-seater additionally offers an overall boot space of 250 mm wider than its predecessor when the third row is folded flat.
In January 2023, President Ruto was spotted in his Sh 20 million Lexus 570, 100 days after being sworn in to office. This new purchase came in the wake of his claims to ensure austerity measures would be curbed to minimize government spending and wastage of resources.
The Lexus 570 comes standard with a 383-horsepower, 5.7-liter V-8 engine that pairs with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Its features include a sunroof, keyless entry and ignition, a power liftgate, front and rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree surround-view parking camera system.
In addition to the Land Cruiser and the Lexus, President Ruto also has a Mercedes Benz Maybach S600 at his disposal for his use, set to cost a buyer up to Sh 20 million to own one.
Also read: How Nairobi house-help stole Sh1 million from employer