History was made on Sunday night as President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto launched the first direct flight to the US. 

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The flight left the Kenyan soil at 11:20 pm and is expected at the John F Kennedy airport at 1:45pm local time. 

That means the flight will take up to 15 hours in Air. 

Other flights take up to 22 hours to land at the New York city.

While launching the historic flight in Kenya's aviation industry, Uhuru said it will create new opportunities.

“These flights are set to provide a seamless experience for business and leisure travellers alike. It will allow the world to taste Kenya’s diverse cultures and hospitality,” President Kenyatta said.

The plane has 234 passengers led by Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma. 

Initially, there were reports that President Kenyatta would be among those to make the first direct US trip with the Kenya Airways Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

It's not clear how and why things changed but Juma was on Sunday night fronted as the government face in the trip. 

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