William Ruto was inaugurated as Kenya’s fifth president on Tuesday.
Tens of thousands of people packed the Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani, Nairobi, to watch the ceremony. Among them were around 20 African heads of state.
Several people were injured during crushes at one entrance, with police spokesman Bruno Shioso saying the stadium was full to capacity by 5am. Shioso instructed Kenyans to watch from home instead.
At noon, Mr Ruto took the oath of office. In his speech, he said: “Our politics and elections have never failed to be emotive, engaging and dramatic. The most recent instalment, however, showcased our most exemplary democratic performance ever.” He called the result “transparent and credible”, saying it “faithfully reflected the democratic will of the Kenyan people”.
Mr Ruto is a former chicken seller who rose to become one of Kenya’s wealthiest men. He portrays himself as a “hustler”, and Kenya as a “hustler nation”, saying his success shows what any of the East African country’s citizens can achieve.
The 55-year-old has been involved in politics since the 1990s, when he was a supporter of Daniel arap Moi.
In 2011, he was charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court; the charges were later dropped, with the court blaming “witness interference and political meddling”. Ruto became deputy president in 2013, partnering with Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Kenya’s first ever president, who had also been charged with crimes against humanity (later dropped too).
In his speech, Mr Ruto gave a “special recognition” to his competitor Raila Odinga, and Odinga’s running mate Martha Karua, who he said “mounted a vigorous and determined campaign”.
Bias
Mr Odinga (77) who has run failed campaigns for president five times, refused to attend the inauguration. In a statement, he said he was abroad and also continues to believe that the vote was not “free and fair”.
His petition taken to Kenya’s Supreme Court to have the presidential vote rerun was dismissed last week. While he accepted the decision of Kenya’s Supreme Court, Mr Odinga added that he does not think it was made on “facts and the law”.
In 2017, Kenya’s presidential election was held a second time after the original result was annulled by the Supreme Court, though the same victor emerged.
There was outcry among journalists ahead of Tuesday’s inauguration as Kenyan TV stations were not given permission to do their own coverage from the stadium, instead having to rely on Multichoice Kenya Ltd, an affiliate of a South African TV company, which had exclusive broadcast rights.
In the past, Mr Ruto has criticised Kenyan TV stations, saying they are biased against him.
Kenya’s election took place on August 9th. There was a noticeably low turnout, but its aftermath was relatively free of the violence that has plagued other votes — particularly the 2007 election, after which more than 1,100 people were killed.
Kenya — which has a population of roughly 55 million people — is facing a series of challenges, including surging fuel and food prices, and a drought in the north which has left more than 4 million people in need of food aid.
