Kenyan President William Ruto has been widely criticized for saying his private jet to the United States last week was cheaper than flying the national airline.
However, he did not reveal how much the plane cost, nor how much it cost Kenya Airways.
Political analyst Professor Herman Manyola told the BBC: “The publicly available facts do not seem to support his case.”
Senior opposition figure Eugene Wamalva told local media the president’s comments were “unpatriotic.”
He said the president should use the opportunity to promote Kenya Airways.
Mr Ruto is traveling to the United States for a three-day official state visit, the first such trip by an African leader in 15 years.
During his tenure, Kenya secured several investment deals worth billions of dollars.
The country has also been designated by the United States as a major non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally, cementing its position as one of the United States’ closest security partners in Africa.
But the use of luxury jets for U.S. tours continues to draw criticism, prompting the president to respond.
On Sunday, a day after returning to the country, Mr Ruto defended himself as a “steward of public resources”.
“It was my determination that we should live within our means, and that I should take the lead in doing so, which would be less expensive than continuing the trip. [Kenya Airways],” he said on X (formerly Twitter).
Kenya Airways has not commented on the fees.
But it dismissed as false a widely circulated statement purporting to show it would be cheaper for the president to fly with the airline.
Despite his explanation, many Kenyans criticized the president.
Mr. Magnola said the president should do a better job of explaining himself to convince people that using private jets was the right thing to do.
He said the president should “consider people’s perceptions” and explain the benefits of using charter flights, including flexibility, class and safety.
“I would have expected an explanation like that, rather than an explanation that confuses people,” he said.
On social media, some criticized the president for using an airline owned by another country.
“It is a shame for a country if the president cannot use our national airline Kenya Airways because it is expensive,” said Alinur Muhammad.
Local media reported that after calculating the total cost of business class tickets for the president and his delegation, it was much cheaper than renting a plane.
The president traveled to the United States on RoyalJet, a company owned by Dubai, accompanied by about 30 people.
The cost of chartering such a plane is reported to be $1.5 million (£1.2 million), while the estimated cost of business class tickets for the entire delegation on Kenya Airways is $300,000.
But Mr Ruto told US broadcaster Voice of America (VOA) over the weekend that the estimated cost of his trip was “completely exaggerated”.
He did not directly answer questions about the fees, but said “the amount of money that’s thrown around is ridiculous.”
“I’m careful about the resources I spend,” he added.
Last week, government spokesman Isaac Mwaura told the BBC that “the benefits of the visit far outweigh” the costs, without confirming the amount involved.
The row comes as critics worry taxpayer money is being used to fund government extravagance, with taxes raised on the basis that the country needs extra money.
Since taking office as president in 2022, Mr. Ruto has visited more than 50 countries, averaging more than three times a month.
The government has defended the trips as necessary while pointing to recent spending-cutting directives.
