Video: AFP
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William Ruto sworn in as Kenya's fifth president
William Ruto was sworn in as Kenya's fifth president on Tuesday, a week after the Supreme Court upheld an election that dashed the hopes of the nation's most prominent political families and handed power to a man who began his career as a roadside chicken seller.
Ruto, who served as deputy president for the past 10 years, takes over at a time of surging food and fuel prices, high unemployment and rising public debt.
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 pic.twitter.com/qkAc5xG1gZ
— State House Kenya (@StateHouseKenya) September 13, 2022
LIVE: Presidential Motorcade Departs State House for Kasarani.https://t.co/bzEFJDunTU
— State House Kenya (@StateHouseKenya) September 13, 2022
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Visiting Heads of State and Government, Heads of Delegation and Foreign Dignitaries arrive at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani
Visiting Heads of State and Government, Heads of Delegation and Foreign Dignitaries arrive at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani for the inauguration ceremony of His Excellency Dr William Samoei Ruto as the 5th President of the Republic of Kenya and Deputy President Hon Rigathi Gachagua.
EAC Heads of State Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (Uganda), Salva Kiir Mayardit (South Sudan), Samia Suluhu Hassan (Tanzania), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Evariste Ndayishimiye (Burundi) and Felix Tshisekedi (DR Congo) are attending the inauguration.
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Also present are Presidents Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (Somalia), Filipe Nyusi (Mozambique), Wavel Ramkalawan (Seychelles), Emmerson Mnangagwa (Zimbabwe), Lazarus Chakwera (Malawi), Umaro Sissoco Embaló (Guinea Bissau) and Azali Assoumani (Comoros).
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Others are Presidents Mahamat Deby (Chad), Julius Maada Bio (Sierra Leone), Ismail Omar Guelleh (Djibouti), Brahim Ghali (Sahrawi) as well as Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini of Eswatini and AUC Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat.
Source: State House Kenya
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UPDATE: Several injured in crush at Kenyan presidential inauguration
Several people were injured on Tuesday in a crush at the gate of the stadium in Kenya's capital where Deputy President William Ruto will be sworn in as president, medical officials said.
Video broadcast on Kenyan television showed people being tended to by medics after being injured in the crush outside Nairobi's 60,000-seat Kasarani Sports Centre.
Mama Lucy hospital received several patients injured in the crush, said Joseph Mbithi from the emergency unit, adding that they were all in stable condition.
A dispatcher for St John's Ambulance service said that ambulances had taken several wounded people to at least three hospitals but that he did not have more details.
Source: Reuters
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William Ruto to be sworn in as Kenya’s president today
William Ruto is due to be sworn in as Kenya’s fifth president today, a week after the Supreme Court threw out a lawsuit from a veteran opposition leader challenging his victory.
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JUST IN: Several hurt in Kenya stadium crush ahead of Ruto swearing
Several people were injured on Tuesday as crowds tried to force their way into the stadium where Kenya's president-elect William Ruto is to be sworn in, local media reported.
Television footage showed hundreds of people scaling a wall to gain access to the 60,000-seat Kasarani stadium in Nairobi, which was packed with spectators before dawn.
Dozens of people can be seen falling on top of each other in a crush at one entrance gate, while first aid responders carried people to a waiting ambulance.
Read more here.
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Deputy President David Mabuza attends inauguration of Kenyan President-elect William Ruto
Deputy President David Mabuza is in Kenya to attend the inauguration of President-elect, William Ruto, taking place today, the presidency confirmed in a statement on Monday.
President-elect Ruto invited President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has since delegated the deputy president to represent the government and people of South Africa at the inauguration.
Read more here.
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National and County leaders from across the country join thousands of jubilant Kenyans at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani for Tuesday's inauguration ceremony of H.E. Dr @WilliamsRuto as the 5th President of the Republic of Kenya and Hon @rigathi as the Deputy President. pic.twitter.com/zldJMWqi0Y
— State House Kenya (@StateHouseKenya) September 13, 2022
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Thousands of people have already filled the Kasarani Stadium which has a capacity of 60,000.
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Cost of inauguration
The Kenyan Treasury Department has provided 200 million shillings or about US$1.6 million for the inauguration ceremony. It will be less costly than Kenyatta’s 2017 inauguration for which taxpayers paid over 300 million shillings.
Source: Africanews.
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Seychelles' President Ramkalawan to attend inauguration of Kenya's new President
The President of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, is among the heads of state who will attend the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected President of Kenya, William Ruto.
Ramkalawan was invited to attend the ceremony that will take place at Moi International Sports Complex Karasani on Tuesday.
His inauguration comes a week after Kenya's Supreme Court, through a unanimous decision, upheld Ruto's victory in the August 9 elections which was being contested by challenger Raila Odinga.
Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, and Kenya recently signed 10 bilateral agreements aimed at enhancing cooperation.
The agreements were signed during a meeting between President Ramkalawan and former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta during his state visit to Seychelles from July 17-19.
(Source: Seychelles News Agency)
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Raila Odinga says he will not attend Ruto’s inauguration
Why I won’t be available for William Ruto's inauguration. pic.twitter.com/ibD5g7WrPK
— Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) September 12, 2022
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40 presidents invited to Ruto's inauguration
Several African heads of state have been invited to Nairobi to witness the inaguration of Kenya's new president William Ruto.
Insiders close to Ruto say he has invited as many as 40 heads of state to grace his investiture.
Among the invitees is President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, seen as a staunch ally of Mr. Ruto during his stint as Kenya's deputy president.
It is widely known that Ruto had paid frequent visits to Uganda to meet Mr. Museveni.
Other East African leaders from Tanzania and Rwanda have been sent invitations by Ruto to attend his inauguration which would come just over a month after he was elected to the Kenyan presidency with just over 50 percent of the vote.
Others scheduled to attend will be representating the African Union, IGAD and the European Union.
(Source: Agence de Presse Africaine)
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Kenya's outgoing President pledges peaceful transfer of power
Kenya's outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta held a meeting with his successor William Ruto, reiterating his commitment to the peaceful transfer of power on Tuesday.
Kenyatta, who gave a televised farewell address to the nation after meeting Ruto at the State House here, Nairobi, said that he will oversee a peaceful transition of powe, in a bid to reaffirm Kenya's democratic ethos, reports Xinhua news agency.
Kenyatta congratulated his Deputy William Ruto for clinching the presidency during the country's hotly contested August 9 polls, pledging support to the incoming administration as it embarks on serving all citizens fairly.
"On my part as the Head of State, I hand over leadership of a nation that has undergone a consequential transformation over the last decade in every aspect of our national life," the outgoing leader said.
On Tuesday, he will hand over instruments of power that includes a ceremonial sword and a copy of the constitution to Ruto, to signify a change of guard.
Source: IANS
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Ruto holds talks with Rwanda President Paul Kagame
Kenyan president-elect William Ruto held talks with Rwanda President Paul Kagame at the Karen Office, Nairobi County on Monday.
“Kenya and Rwanda have a long established relationship based not just on geography but mutual interests and long standing partnerships on economic and security issues. We will seek to build and expand our cooperation for the mutual benefit of the citizens of our countries, ” said Ruto.
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Kenya values the ties it enjoys with Mozambique and commits to further this cooperation to expand and diversify her basket of export products to the Southern African nation. pic.twitter.com/8ToYXIehgE
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) September 12, 2022
We cherish the robust friendship that Kenya enjoys with China. We will step up and expand these relations on infrastructure, agriculture, education, among other broad array of issues for the mutual benefit of our countries. pic.twitter.com/zMqvBL1jwi
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) September 12, 2022
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