President Ruto learns the ropes of ship navigation aboard MV Uhuru II
In a light-hearted moment during the launch of MV Uhuru II in Kisumu on Monday, October 9, President William Ruto entertained the audience with jokes about his unfamiliarity with ship operations.
The President was present to commission the vessel, which the government had been constructing at the Kenya Shipyards Limited for the past two years.
After witnessing the planned activities on land, he was taken to the ship’s bridge to have a hands-on experience of water vessel navigation.
It was at this point that Dr. Ruto humorously mentioned his lack of knowledge about steering a ship.
When one of the crew members asked him to ignite the engine to start the vessel moving, the President quipped, “Iko wapi steering (where is the steering wheel),” causing laughter among those on the bridge.
President Ruto seemed to expect a wheel-like feature in front of him, similar to a car’s steering wheel, to control the vessel’s direction.
However, he was informed that ships use throttles to regulate engine power and control speed, and MV Uhuru II has T-shaped throttles that are manually operated.
“Na ni ndogo hivi (they are small in size),” Dr. Ruto remarked.
Later, he was given the opportunity to start the engine, and the vessel sailed a short distance on land before returning to the Kisumu port.
Throughout the brief voyage, President Ruto received explanations about various ship operations, often expressing surprise at the differences between water vessels and other machines.
He even sounded the ship horn intermittently, which typically is sounded once and continuously.
During the journey, the President learned that ships may encounter headwinds and was shown the ship channel, the route the vessel takes when leaving port.
He was also informed that electronics may fail, and the crew must use a magnetic compass for navigation.
In a light-hearted moment, President Ruto questioned why the lake in Kenya was smaller than the one in Uganda, remarking that the sizes should be the same, which elicited laughter from the audience.
The President was accompanied by his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, who observed the ship navigation lessons with keen interest.