Kenya is set to retire the country's only presidential aircraft, a F70, in 2026 following repeated mechanical issues and safety concerns, the Daily Nation newspaper has reported.

The government's cabinet secretary for defence, Soipan Tuya, confirmed that the 30-year-old jet, KAF308 (msn 11557), was sent to Fokker Techniek at Woensdrecht on August 22 for a final maintenance cycle. The work is expected to last one year, after which the aircraft will return to Kenya for a brief period of service before being phased out.

Known as Harambee One, the F70 has been operated by the Kenya Air Force for presidential travel since new. The jet's latest issue occurred during an East African Community and Southern African Development Community joint summit in February 2025 at Dar es Salaam, when it was grounded due to technical problems. The air force had to dispatch one of the three DHC-8-100s it operates the following day to return President William Ruto to Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta.

Tuya indicated that a new presidential jet could be acquired within the next two years, depending on budget availability, though details remain undisclosed. In the meantime, President Ruto will rely on air force aircraft, Kenya Airways commercial flights, and chartered jets for official travel.

For his most recent state visit, between September 7 and 9 for the 2nd Africa Climate Summit in Ethiopia, Ruto flew to Addis Ababa International aboard GV T7-VVV (msn 584), a 25.4-year-old, 18-seat Gulfstream Aerospace aircraft operated by Dubai-based Skymark Executive (SMB, Rimini). The jet, based at Nairobi since October 2024, entered service with Skymark Executive in early August.

In 2024, Ruto faced criticism for using a B737-700(BBJ) of RoyalJet (ROJ, Abu Dhabi International) during a state visit to the United States. The Executive Office of the President said the aircraft had been provided at what it termed "low cost" by the United Arab Emirates government.

Kenya's F70 is one of only two Fokker Aircraft used by a government for official state trips, alongside Tanzania's 34-year-old F50 operated by TGF - Tanzania Government Flight. In late 2024, Tanzania took delivery of a factory-new G700, which replaced a G550.