President William Ruto arrives in Mwanza aboard Harambee One for a private family visit.
President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto travelled to Mwanza for their daughter Charlene’s wedding following the presidential jet’s overhaul.
Kenya’s presidential jet, Harambee One, has resumed presidential duty following an extensive maintenance programme in the Netherlands. President William Ruto used the aircraft to travel to Mwanza, Tanzania, for his daughter Charlene’s wedding.
Flight-tracking records showed the Kenya Air Force Fokker 70 flying from Nairobi to Mwanza on November 5. The aircraft, registration KAF308, used KENYA01, the call sign associated with presidential operations.
Meanwhile, images shared by the Mwanza Regional Commissioner showed Ruto leaving the aircraft after arrival. The commissioner received the President during the private family visit.
First Lady Rachel Ruto accompanied the President to the wedding, where Charlene exchanged vows with Isaya Yunge. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen also attended and shared photographs, congratulating the couple and wishing them lasting happiness.
Harambee One resumes presidential flights after overhaul
The Mwanza journey marked the aircraft’s first tracked presidential flight since completion of its maintenance programme. Before that trip, tracking records showed domestic flights linking Nairobi with Eldoret, Mombasa and Malindi.
However, those earlier flights largely used the FLOKI100 designation rather than KENYA01. The Tanzania flight therefore marked a clear return to presidential operations after the jet’s refurbishment.
Dutch aviation company Fokker Services Group carried out the overhaul, covering major maintenance, cabin improvements and system upgrades. It also installed the Gogo Galileo FDX inflight connectivity system, which uses Eutelsat OneWeb’s low-Earth-orbit satellite network.
The equipment uses an electronically steered antenna to deliver internet access during flights. Reported speeds reach up to 195 Mbps for downloads and 32 Mbps for uploads.
Fokker Services Group also commended the Kenya Air Force’s upkeep of the jet over three decades. The company identified KAF308 as one of the final Fokker 70 aircraft built and delivered.
Presidential fleet and chartered travel
Kenya acquired the Fokker 70 in 1995, and the Kenya Air Force operates it. Its prolonged absence for maintenance prompted questions about the fleet’s future, given its age and dwindling global numbers.
Meanwhile, Ruto has used chartered executive aircraft for several international engagements. In June, he travelled to South Africa for a three-day state visit aboard a privately chartered Boeing 737-800 BBJ2.
Dubai-based Empire Aviation Group operated that aircraft, registered T7-BBJ2. Ruto also used chartered planes for visits to the United States in 2024, and Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in May 2026.
Neither State House nor the Ministry of Defence has publicly announced plans to replace the Fokker 70.
