The President of Uganda HE. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will fly to Nairobi, Kenya next week, to join a long list of world leaders, who will attend Dr. William Ruto’s inauguration.
President-elect for Kenya Dr. William Ruto has invited more than 40 heads of state to attend his inauguration, which will take place on Tuesday next week.
Ababu Namwamba, who led Dr Ruto’s international relations team at the presidential campaign secretariat and former Foreign Affairs Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) is in charge of identifying heads of state to receive invitations for the big event.
Museveni, is one of the few world leaders who have held phone conversations with Dr. Ruto, congratulating him upon trouncing his arch rival Raila Odinga in a recent Supreme Court legal battle that sought to nullify his win.
“I rang Mr Ruto to congratulate him on the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to uphold his election as the fifth President of Kenya. I look forward to working with him to strengthen our strategic partnership in advancing the EAC agenda. God bless the people of Kenya,” Museveni said on Twitter.
President Museveni has been a close confidant to Dr Ruto since the first term of the Jubilee administration. The relationship between the duo has swiftly grown in the past months, causing speculation.
This forced Uganda’s longest serving leader to clear the air late last month by announcing that his government would not take sides in the recently concluded Kenyan elections.
Also expected to attend is President Abdul Fattah El Sisi of Egypt, who will be one of the most high profile guests. Heads of state from Nigeria, Ethiopia and Ghana are among those who have been invited from continental Africa.
Most importantly, representatives of the European Union (EU) African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) are also expected to be present at the event.
The transition committee, comprised of Dr Ruto’s team, Maendeleo Chap Chap leader Alfred Mutua, United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General Veronica Maina, the Woman Representative-elect Gladys Shollei, among others, has taken full charge of the swearing-in ceremony.
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) chairman Johnson Muthama, who is an influential figure in the President-elect’s inner circle, told the nation that they had invited all heads of state who came out to openly congratulate Dr Ruto for emerging triumphant in the recently concluded presidential elections, and also dislodging Raila Odinga in a recent legal battle that among other things sought to delegitmize his win.
Other countries outside Africa whose leaders have been invited include the UK, the US, India, Russia, China and Qatar, whose ambassador Jabor bin Ali Hussein held discussions with Dr Ruto yesterday in Karen, Nairobi.
In a brief statement yesterday, Dr Ruto revealed that he had a telephone conversation with the outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, without revealing when the call occurred and the details of the conversations.
“We discussed the just concluded General Election and the transition as envisaged by our democratic tradition and practice,” Dr. Ruto said.
Soon after the Supreme Court confirmed him as the winner, Dr Ruto held a press briefing on Monday and said that he had not spoken to president Kenyatta for a considerable period of time, but that he would be reaching out to him to deliberate the transfer of power.
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