First Lady Rachel Ruto is in New York accompanying President William Ruto as part of Kenya’s official delegation to the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), after arriving with the President and other members of the delegation on Sunday, September 20, 2026, ahead of the high-level week.
Rachel Ruto is accompanying President William Ruto as part of the Kenyan delegation attending UNGA and related engagements.
Her public programs have focused on climate action, women’s empowerment, financial inclusion, and other social initiatives that can intersect with UN and multilateral discussions.
“Arrived in New York accompanying President William Ruto for the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Over the coming days, I will join global leaders, partners and advocates in advancing conversations on issues that affect women and children,” she confirmed in a statement on September 20.
Rachel Ruto may also participate in complementary meetings, receptions and side events linked to the President’s official program and her areas of public engagement.
What the Constitution Says About the Rachel Ruto As the First Lady
The Constitution of Kenya does not establish the office of the First Lady as a constitutional State office.
Article 151 specifically provides for the remuneration and benefits of the President and Deputy President to be charged on the Consolidated Fund but does not create a similar entitlement for their spouses.
“The remuneration and benefits payable to the President and the Deputy President shall be a charge on the Consolidated Fund.”
This means Rachel Ruto’s role as First Lady is not a constitutional office with independently defined powers, functions, or a guaranteed budget.
What Happened to the First Lady’s Budget
In October 2023, the government introduced restrictions on non-essential foreign travel by state officers as part of measures to reduce public spending, including limits on delegations accompanying the President, Deputy President, Prime Cabinet Secretary and First Lady.
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These changes were confirmed by then Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, who said foreign travel would only be facilitated for engagements involving state obligations, critical state-to-state engagements, or statutory leadership and membership roles involving decisions affecting Kenya.
“In this respect, foreign travel will only be facilitated for engagements in which the Government of Kenya’s participation is part of fulfillment of state obligations, and pursuant to the conduct of critical state-to-state engagements; and for the purpose of fulfilling a statutory leadership or membership role, in which critical decisions impacting on the country’s position are under consideration,” said Koskei
The restrictions also suspended travel for activities such as study visits, benchmarking, research, academic symposia, and capacity-building initiatives.
Restrictions on Government Delegations
Under the 2023 directive, Cabinet Secretaries were limited to a maximum delegation of three personnel, while Principal Secretaries could travel with no more than two officials.
When a Cabinet Secretary was accompanied, at least one delegate had to be a technical officer with expertise relevant to the foreign engagement. Security and personal assistants or logistics officers were generally excluded, subject to specified exemptions.
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Koskei also directed that Cabinet and Principal Secretaries from the same ministry should not travel abroad at the same time unless the engagement specifically required both to attend.
The restrictions formed part of wider government efforts to control the cost and size of official foreign travel.
First Lady’s Office Loses Dedicated Budget
In July 2024, President William Ruto directed the removal of budget allocations for the offices of the First Lady, the spouse of the Deputy President, and the spouse of the Prime Cabinet Secretary as part of government austerity measures.
“I believe these changes will set our country on a trajectory towards economic transformation,” Ruto said.
Treasury subsequently removed about KSh1.25 billion allocated to the offices of the First Lady and the Deputy President’s spouse for the 2024/25 financial year.
The move meant that the First Lady’s office no longer had a dedicated annual budget allocation.
However, the removal of a standalone budget does not, by itself, establish that the President’s spouse cannot accompany the President on an official overseas delegation.
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