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Ruto Dubai jet linked to overnight trip, flight data shows
Ruto Dubai jet movements between January 1 and 6, 2026 are drawing scrutiny after a Dubai photo of President William Ruto surfaced online. Flight-tracking records show a T7-JET Embraer Legacy 650 flying late-night routes between Kenya and Dubai as the president’s public diary placed him in the country. State House has not commented.
What triggered the questions
An Instagram post by Italian businessman Flavio Briatore showed Ruto in Dubai alongside investor Kamel Ghribi, placing the president in the city around January 6–7. The image, taken at Briatore’s Lion in the Sun venue at the Mandarin Oriental Downtown, set off debate about when—and how—he travelled.
The flight trail: T7-JET Legacy 650
TNX Africa’s review of aviation data highlights repeated hops by a San Marino-registered Embraer Legacy 650, tail T7-JET, shuttling Nairobi–Eldoret legs before overnight flights to Dubai. Entries on FlightAware and Flightradar24 indicate movements on January 1, 2, 4 and 6, including an Eldoret–Dubai sector on January 1 and returns into Kenya days later. On January 6, the aircraft flew Dubai–Nairobi in the evening. That same day, the president appeared in West Pokot and Kakamega for public events, according to TNX Africa’s account. The timing has fueled speculation about a nocturnal departure and return, though the records do not identify passengers.
Ruto Dubai jet: what is known—and unknown
What is known: a T7-JET Legacy 650 operated multiple Kenya–Dubai flights in the first week of January; Briatore’s post placed Ruto in Dubai; officials have not addressed the trip. What remains unknown: who chartered the aircraft, who was on board, and the purpose of any visit. Until authorities clarify, links between the aircraft and the president remain circumstantial.
The aircraft at the center
The Embraer Legacy 650 is a long-range business jet introduced in 2009 as an upgrade to the Legacy 600, with extended range and cabin space. It is commonly used on Middle East–Africa routes. TNX Africa notes Ruto previously used a Legacy 650 on an official trip to Angola in November 2025.
Context and prior precedent
Kenyan media documented the 2025 Angola trip aboard a private jet, a choice that drew attention at the time. That precedent, combined with the January flight pattern and the Dubai photo, explains the renewed public interest in presidential travel arrangements. However, without a manifest or official confirmation, the January flights cannot be definitively linked to the head of state.
What happens next
If State House addresses the episode, it could clarify whether a private charter was used and for what purpose. Meanwhile, open-source aviation logs and the public Instagram post remain the primary evidence in the public domain. Any further conclusions require verifiable records from operators or officials.
The bottom line: flight data and a Dubai photo have raised legitimate questions about an unpublicised journey. The facts available show aircraft movements and an appearance in Dubai, but they stop short of proving that the president boarded the Ruto Dubai jet on those overnight runs
