Ruto receives more congratulations from Africa after winning Kenyan elections

NAIROBI, August 16 Kenya’s President-elect, William Ruto, continued to receive congratulations from African presidents on Tuesday, a day after he was declared the winner in the August 9 general election.

“My warm congratulations to President-elect William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on his Twitter account.

Ramaphosa, whose country is the continent’s most developed economy, added, “A prosperous and united Kenya is an important prerequisite and contributes to a prosperous and peaceful continent. We look forward to working with you in the pursuit of the Africa we want.”

The President of Nigeria (Africa’s largest economy), Muhammadu Buhari, also congratulated Ruto on his “winning general election on August 9, 2022”.

“I wish him a successful inauguration and mandate, while I look forward to more fruitful and solid relations between Nigeria and Kenya,” Buhari said.

Neighboring Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni revealed that he called Proto last night and stressed his country’s commitment to “continue to partner with Kenya to advance the regional and continental agenda through the East African Community, the African Union and other multilateral platforms.”

The President of neighboring Tanzania, Samia Solo Hassan, congratulated “the people of Kenya on their peaceful general elections and the subsequent announcement of Dr. William Ruto as elected president”.

“We look forward to continuing to work with our brothers and sisters in Kenya to strengthen our close historical relations,” Hassan added.

Similarly, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) – an economic bloc to which eight East African countries belong – and Workneh Gibeho, congratulated Ruto “on his election as the fifth President of the Republic of Kenya”.

“I salute the Kenyans for holding a peaceful election and look forward to a peaceful conclusion of the entire electoral process,” Workneh said.

Already on Monday, when the election results were announced, the leaders of Ethiopia, Somalia, Zimbabwe and Burundi sent their congratulations to the elected president.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEBC) declared Roto the winner with 50.49% of the vote. His main rival, former Prime Minister and opposition leader Raila Odinga, received 48.85% of the vote.

A few minutes before the announcement, four IEBC commissioners (made up of seven commissioners and the president), including the vice president, Juliana Chirera, questioned the election results by claiming that the count was done in an “opaque” manner.

The Commonwealth (Commonwealth of Colonies and Former British Protectorate) Election Observation Mission today announced its “concern over complaints about the lack of transparency in the IEC” and recommended “that such complaints be promptly and satisfactorily addressed by the relevant authority”.

Unless a legal challenge to the results prevents him, Ruto will become Kenya’s fifth president since independence in 1963, replacing Uhuru Kenyatta, who is serving the second and final five-year term allowed by the constitution. EFE

pa/mj