10 key world dignitaries to attend Uhuru's swearing in ceremony

juma chrispinus

August 13, 2017 9:16 AM

Britain has already send a congratulatory message to the duo for winning a second term

On the long list of dignitaries set for the swearing in event of president elect Uhuru Kenyatta, former US President Barack Obama may be one of them, a local daily reports.

The swearing-in committee, led by Chief of Staff Joseph Kinyua, revealed to the press that they are already compiling the list of foreign dignitaries the Government intends to invite, should the re-election be maintained.

Leaders likely to be invited are African Heads of State, among them, Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), John Pombe Magufuli (Tanzania), Jacob Zuma (South Africa), Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari who has been out of Nigeria on a medical vacation for 97 days, and European leaders German Chancellor Angela Merkel and United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May.

Also on the list are Liberian leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, businessman Aliko Dangote, His Highness the Aga Khan, former Italian PM Matteo Renzi and China’s President Xi Jinping.

“We are basically preparing for the swearing-in ceremony of the President even as we go through the constitutional timelines and processes. That list basically contains the President’s friends, African and other world leaders we intend to invite for the fete. It is just an ordinary preparation process,” one of the committee members who spoke to The Standard said.

Also read: Britain's rare message to Uhuru Kenyatta

The electoral commission Chairman Wafula Chebukati on Friday declared incumbent President Uhuru and his deputy William Ruto winners of this year’s presidential contest. The duo garnered over 54 per cent of the votes cast on Tuesday 8.

A determination on the exact swearing-in ceremony can only be made after 14 days following the date of the declaration of results to provide room for any party willing to petition the results to do so.

The law requires the swearing-in of the President-elect be conducted in a public ceremony held in the capital city.

In 14 days from the day of announcement of his win, Mr Kenyatta will take oath of office, sign a certificate of inauguration in the presence of the Chief Justice or his deputy in a public ceremony in the capital Nairobi.

juma chrispinus