Outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta has congratulated President-elect William Ruto ahead of his swearing-in ceremony set for Tuesday, September 13, 2022.
In his final address from State House on Monday evening, Uhuru, for the first time since the Supreme Court upheld Ruto's victory on September 5, congratulated and wished Ruto the very best as he prepares to take over the reins tomorrow.
The Head of State pledged to hand over power peacefully to the incoming administration in the inauguration ceremony set to be held at the Kasarani Stadium.
Also Read:
"My entire family and I join all Kenyans in wishing our very best to our next President, Dr. William S. Ruto, and in extending to him our warmest congratulations for receiving the mandate of Kenyans to lead us as our Fifth President," Uhuru stated.
"As a hallmark of our democracy, I will tomorrow, before God and my fellow countrymen, hand over the instruments of power to our new President at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. With that, the Fourth Administration will come to an end and the tenure of the Fifth Administration will begin."
He urged Ruto to unite the country, reminding him that he will not only be the president of those who voted for him but every Kenyan.
"Mr. President-elect, as you walk the path to your inauguration and beyond, you will be President not just for those who voted for you but for all Kenyans. In the prophetic words of our national anthem - we are all summoned to purposefully dwell in unity, peace and liberty; working hard and together, so that plenty will be found in our borders," Uhuru said.
"We, therefore, pray for your success, as your success will be Kenya's success."
Earlier, the outgoing Head of State hosted Ruto and the incoming First Lady Rachael Ruto at State House ahead of tomorrow's inauguration.
Uhuru will be handing over power to his deputy whom he sought to block from succeeding him and who he publicly campaigned against.
Unlike the late President Mwai Kibaki, Uhuru openly campaigned for Ruto’s closest rival – Raila Odinga who has unsuccessfully sought the presidency five times.
Uhuru says his administration has delivered
In his Monday address, Uhuru said his administration had delivered on its promise to improve the country's road infrastructure, power supply and health care system, among others
"Typified by the iconic Nairobi Expressway, My Administration has upgraded Kenya’s infrastructure in terms of roads, ports, floating bridges, fibre optics and power generation and transmission. As a result, Kenya now stands out as an investment destination of choice, and a continental and global hub," he said.
"To share in this plenty with all Kenyan families, we have tripled the number of households with access to electricity by connecting an extra 6.3 million households, up from 2.3 million households in 2013," he added.
"I, therefore, handover in unbroken chain the country that has connected electricity to more homes to power than any other country in Africa over the last decade."
