Ricci soliton and Ricci almost soliton within the framework of Kenmotsu manifold

First, we prove that if the Reeb vector field $\xi$ of a Kenmotsu manifold $M$ leaves the Ricci operator $Q$ invariant, then $M$ is Einstein. Next, we study Kenmotsu manifold whose metric represents a Ricci soliton and prove that it is expanding. Moreover, the soliton is trivial (Einstein) if either (i) $V$ is a contact vector field, or (ii) the Reeb vector field $\xi$ leaves the scalar curvature invariant. Finally, it is shown that if the metric of a Kenmotsu manifold represents a gradient Ricci almost soliton, then it is $\eta$-Einstein and the soliton is expanding. We also exhibited some examples of Kenmotsu manifold that admit Ricci almost solitons.