Ruto expected to attend Kagame swearing in ceremony in Kigali

President William Ruto is scheduled to leave the country for the first time since halting his foreign trips following civil unrest triggered by the controversial Finance Bill, 2024 that has since been withdrawn.

Rwandan authorities have confirmed that the Kenyan Head of State is among the Presidents scheduled to witness President Paul Kagame's swearing-in and inauguration ceremony on Sunday following last month's landslide win.

President Ruto who is yet to officially declare his visit will be a person of interest in the ceremony, happening barely two days after an ongoing series of protests by young Kenyans seeking an ouster of his government over claims of poor governance and a lack of accountability by senior government officials.

Before the series of protests that were termed by some officials in government as an attempted coup, the President known for his frequent travels outside the country had been on a four-day State visit to the United States.

In the past, he has defended his frequent travels terming them beneficial to the country amongst them offering job opportunities to Kenyans abroad and opening up markets for Kenyan produce after he was criticised as having made the most foreign trips during his first year in power.

By October last year, the President had made 38 trips to foreign countries since taking over office in August of the previous year.

"Concerning the noise about foreign travel, that is my work as President, I am the chief agent of Kenya, I am the Ambassador of Kenya planning on how the country moves forward," he said during the 40th-anniversary celebrations of the Anglican Church of Kenya's Eldoret Diocese led by the head of the Anglican Church Archbishop Ole Sapit.

The GenZ protests that began in June, however, subjected his travel to closer scrutiny as many Kenyans called for the adoption of austerity measures by the executive including the Presidency.

In a media interview last month, Foreign Affairs PS Sing'oei Korir said that moving forward, the government would be considering only critical foreign events will be attended by the Head of State as a result of the austerity measures announced by the government due to the financial constraints that were occasioned by the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024.

"We will consider very seriously which events are critical and must be attended by the President because that has an additional cost. Perhaps we won't see the President flying out of the country as frequently," he said.

Other Heads of State expected at the ceremony include; Tanzania's Samia Suluhu, Botswana's Mokgweetsi Masisi, Sychelle's Wavel Ramkalawan, Mozambique's Filipe Nyusi, South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa, Angola's Joao Lourenco, Senegal's Prime Minister Ousman Sonko, Zimbabwe's Emmerson Mnangagwa, Guinea Bissau's Umaro Sissoco, South Sudan's Salva Kiir and Burundi's Evariste Ndayishimiye.

Other notable attendees include; Guinea's interim President Mamady Doumbouya, Malawi's Vice President Dr Michael Usi, Uganda's Chief of Defence Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, former President Uhuru Kenyatta and representatives from continental bodies such as the African Union.

The event will be held at the Amahoro National Stadium in Kigali where thousands of Rwandans including government officials are expected to gather to witness his fourth swearing-in ceremony.

According to local media, the event will feature a military parade, cultural performances and speeches highlighting the country's achievements in various sectors under Kagame's rule.

President Kagame vied under the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) ticket, securing his fourth term after overwhelmingly defeating his two challengers, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana.

The electoral commission declared him the winner after he garnered 99.15 per cent of the votes cast by over nine million Rwandans registered voters.

Kagame's re-election marks 24 years as president of the nation since his first election in 2000.

The 66-year-old first came to power as the leader of rebels who took control of Rwanda's government and ended the genocide in 1994.