Hello and welcome to the Evening Brief Newsletter where we are in Atlanta, on regular flights though.
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Switching Jets
President William Ruto's State Visit to the United States of America officially kicked off on Sunday evening and it was a sight to behold.
For the first time ever, the Head of State chartered a Boeing Business Jet and left his stately Fokker 70 ER, also known as Kenya's Air Force One.
Jet Specs: The Head of State (expected to touch down at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Monday evening), chartered the Boeing 737-700 BBJ manufactured by Royaljet LLC, an Abu Dhabi-owned company.
The jet has 23 VVIP seats and its passengers enjoy a lounge area. During the trip, President William Ruto will be treated to a bedroom with a queen-sized bed. Other facilities include a conference area, business class, and wifi for a video-on-demand IFE System.
Costs to Taxpayers: Valued at Ksh9.3 billion, the jet will reportedly setback Kenyan taxpayers Ksh2.4 million ($18,000) for every hour of flying for Ruto's near weeklong visit to the United States, starting in Atlanta, Georgia.
Overall, the fee is expected to compound to Ksh71 million for a one-way trip between Kenya and the US.
Reason for Switching Planes: The Boeing 737-700 BBJ is much larger and therefore demands fewer breaks for refueling along the 13809.78-kilometer route. The Kenya Airforce One would need to make five stops while the BBJ only made one stop.
Ruto Itinerary: Yesterday, State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed confirmed that the trip will kick off in Atlanta and end in Washington DC where he will address the Pentagon.
- Atlanta; Ruto will visit the Carter Presidential Library and Museum to reinforce shared commitment to governance, democratic values and anti-corruption efforts. He will then head to Ebenezer Baptist Church to pay homage to the civil rights struggle.
- Ruto will also visit Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) where a new CDC-KEMRI partnership will be announced before proceeding to meeting Kenyans in Diaspora.
- Tuesday, Ruto will visit Spelman College as well as Coca-Cola headquarters and meet the Mayor of Atlanta for Dinner
- Wednesday, Ruto will travel to Washington DC for the ceremonial honours before meeting the black congressional caucus and that of the Senate
- Thursday, Lay the wreath at Arlington National Cemetery before holding a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden. The two presidents will hold a joint press briefing at the White House thereafter before proceeding for a state dinner.
- Friday: Join the US Chamber of Commerce for breakfast where trade talks will prevail before holding a digital roundtable with Kamala Harris, US VP. He will then visit the Pentagon before departing.
The Head of State was accompanied by 30 delegates including entertainer Butita. Wandia Gichuru and Chebet Mutai, founders of Vivo Fashion Group and Wazawazi respectively, will also be part of the events.
Vivo Fashion Group, a leading retail fashion enterprise in Kenya, is set to mark its entry into the U.S. market this May with the opening of its inaugural store, while Wazawazi, a Denver-based leather bag-making store, is emblematic of Kenya’s prowess in the fashion industry.
Meanwhile in Kenya
As the Head of State jet-sets halfway around the world, Kenyans continue scrambling for a handful of job opportunities.
On Monday, the Youth Agenda, a Kenyan NGO, announced that it was closing applications for two internship positions after overwhelmingly receiving over 3,000 applications.
Interested applicants were asked to submit their resumes either for Finance and Admin or Monitoring and Evaluation intern positions.
What YAA is Saying: "We have closed the application process for the Finance and Admin Intern and M&E Intern positions. We received 3,000+ applications and will be reviewing, shortlisting, and giving feedback in the next few weeks. If you have applied, keep checking your emails."
Catch Up Quick: In Kenya, job hunting has become an extreme sport aching to the Russian Roulette. In March, 50,000 jobless youth applied to fill less than 1,000 vacancies floated by the Public Service Commission.
According to Statista, Kenya's unemployment rate stands at 5.6 per cent.
View from KNBS: The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), through its 2024 Economic Survey Report, indicated that the country created 848,200 new jobs in 2023 alone.
The survey showed that employment opportunities in both the modern and informal sectors rose from 19.1 million in 2022 to 20.0 million in 2023.
"Total new jobs generated in the economy were 848.2 thousand in 2023. In the year under review, wage employment in the modern sector grew by 4.1 per cent which translated to the creation of 122.8 thousand new jobs in the sector."
"The informal sector created 720.9 thousand new jobs and accounted for 85.0 per cent of all the new jobs created in 2023," read the report in part.
[DATA POINT] Declining Teacher Numbers
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) 2024 Economic Survey Report showed that teacher numbers in primary schools dropped from 221,510 in 2022 to 219,727 last year.
Other levels of education however saw an uptick in the number of teachers. (Check the data graphics below).
Here are five other stories we are keeping tabs on for you today;
- NACADA has ordered the removal of billboards positioned near learning institutions and promoting alcoholic drinks.
- South Sudan rebel leader General Stephen Buay Rolnyang threatens to withdraw from high-level mediation for South Sudan being held in Nairobi alleging there was an assassination attempt on him.
- President William Ruto mourns Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a chopper crash, as a fearless leader.
- President William Ruto hosted Tiktoker Mama Tinsley and her four-year-old daughter at State House in line with his earlier promise to the family.
- Manufacturers warn that cooking oil prices will increase by 80 per cent if the Finance Bill 2024 passes as is.
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This newsletter was written by Derrick Kubasu and edited by Brian Muuo.
Washington Mito contributed to the content.
Graphics prepared by Sylvia Kalulu.
