President William Ruto faced an embarrassing moment on Wednesday when he delivered his address to a largely empty hall during the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Ruto departed the country last week with an unusually large delegation, a trip that is estimated to cost Kenyan taxpayers approximately Sh500 million, according to insider sources.
The President was accompanied by several senior government officials and what critics have described as “joy riders”. Those in his entourage included Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who also serves as the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs; Hassan Joho, the Cabinet Secretary for Mining and the Blue Economy; and William Kabogo, the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication, and Technology.
During his address at UNGA, President Ruto urged member states to consider comprehensive reforms of the United Nations, emphasizing the need to modernise the organisation so it can better address contemporary global challenges. He also pushed for a restructuring of the international financial system, noting that its outdated rules unfairly burden developing nations with unsustainable debts and high costs, while wealthier countries continue to benefit disproportionately.
In addition, Ruto advocated for Africa to be allocated two permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council, arguing that the continent’s voice must be strengthened in global decision-making.
However, despite the well-crafted and passionately delivered speech, the optics were far from impressive. As Ruto began speaking, many delegates, including heads of state and foreign ministers, were seen leaving the hall. This left the Kenyan president addressing a sea of empty chairs, with only a handful of people remaining in the room.
The only visible supporters in the audience were members of his own delegation — Mudavadi, Kabogo, Joho, and Attorney General Dorcas Oduor — who cheered and gave him repeated standing ovations throughout the speech.
Photographs taken during the address show the stark reality of the half-empty hall, a moment that has since sparked discussions across the world about the relevance and impact of Ruto’s participation at the global forum.
Here are the embarrassing photos
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