Thirteen heads of State and government are among 43 country delegations that will today witness President Uhuru Kenyatta’s inauguration for a second term in office.
Eleven presidents and two prime ministers had confirmed by yesterday evening their attendance at the swearing-in ceremony of Uhuru and his deputy William Ruto at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi.
They will be joined by other leaders of delegations and three former presidents at the event expected to be attended by about 100,000 people. Presidents Salva Kiir (South Sudan), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), John Magufuli (Tanzania), Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (Somali), Ismaïl Omar Guelleh (Djibouti), Hifikepunye Pohamba (Namibia), Faure Gnassingbé (Togo), Ali Bongo Ondimba (Gabon), Edgar Lungu (Zambia) and Seretse Ian Khama (Botswana) are on the guest list.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ethiopia’s Hailemariam Desalegn, former presidents Thabo Mbeki (South Africa), John Mahama (Ghana) and Rupiah Banda (Malawi) had also confirmed attendance. Burundi will be represented by First Vice President Gaston Sindimwo, same as Nigeria by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Equatorial Guinea will send Prime Minister Francisco Pascual Obama Asue while Congo Brazzaville, Swaziland and Yemen will send their deputy prime ministers. China, Japan, Vatican, Serbia and Eritrea will also dispatch special envoys while UK’s Joint Minister of State for the Department for International Development and Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Rory Stewart will represent PM Theresa May. South Africa, Ukraine, Sri Lanka, Palestine, India, Oman, Algeria, Republic of Saharawi, United Arab Emirates and Qatar will also be represented by ministers while regional bodies such as the East African Community and Inter-Governmental Authority on Development will be represented by their secretaries-general.
“I can confirm that 43 delegations will be represented here tomorrow,†Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Monica Juma said at Kasarani yesterday, adding that some of the dignitaries were expected in the country last evening. Uhuru and Ruto will take their oath of office for a second term in a ceremony administered by Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Anne Amadi in the presence of Chief Justice David Maraga, in line with constitutional requirements.
Uhuru, who will be taking office for a final term, faces the challenge of uniting the country and jump-starting the economy following one of the country’s most divisive electoral processes that saw his main challenger, Raila Odinga, withdraw from the repeat presidential election of October 26.
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Uhuru was declared the winner by the electoral commission with 98 percent of the votes cast and the Supreme Court upheld his election after dismissing two election petitions. The President has since reached out to the Opposition National Super Alliance (NASA), which has vowed not to recognise his government, with a call to abandon street protests and join hands with his administration to steer the country out of the divisive contest.
“And like in any competition, there will be winners and losers but in terms of the election, we are all winners as Kenyans. Our responsibility after the political competition is to come together and work to build the nation,†Uhuru said on Sunday.
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primenewsghana.com/Kenya News