William Ruto is sworn in as the new President of Kenya

Odinga refuses to attend the event and again denounces irregularities in the elections

Sep. 13 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The until now vice president of Kenya, William Ruto, was sworn in on Tuesday as the country’s new president after his victory in the elections held in August, a ceremony that took place about a week after the Supreme Court confirmed the results. before the denunciations of the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

“I, William Samoei Ruto, fully aware of the task, assume the position as President of Kenya and swear true loyalty and fidelity to Kenya”, he said during the act, in which he promised “to obey, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution” and “protect and maintain the sovereignty, integrity and dignity of the people of Kenya”.

After that, there was a changing of the guard that symbolized the passing of the command from the outgoing president, Uhuru Kenyatta, to his successor. Previously, both had shaken hands, after several days of tension and before the president’s previous refusal to congratulate his vice president for his electoral victory.

For his part, Rigathi Gachagua has been sworn in as the new Kenyan vice president, an inauguration marked by several errors during the reading of the protocol text that have caused him to repeat one of the two oaths, something he has achieved on the second attempt.

Odinga announced on Monday that he would not attend the event despite Ruto’s invitation because “he is out of the country” and “other serious concerns” about the results of the presidential elections.

Thus, he argued that he considers that the electoral commission “did not carry out a free and fair election” and added that the Supreme Court ruling “is not based on the facts and the law, despite which it was accepted.” “The result of the election remains undetermined,” she argued.

“Once I return to Kenya (…) we will announce the next steps as we seek to deepen and strengthen our democracy. We can only do so with a reform and transformation of the key institutions charged with protecting and advancing our democracy,” he concluded.

A line similar to that of Odinga was expressed during the day by his candidate for the Vice Presidency, Martha Karua, who published a photograph playing golf. “My day so far,” she said in a message on her Twitter account, confirming that she would not attend Ruto’s inauguration either.

The inauguration of Ruto has also been marked by an avalanche in the previous hours in the sports center of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, in which the act has taken place, an event that has resulted in eight injuries. “To avoid logistical challenges, the public is asked to find alternative ways to view the proceedings, especially from the comfort of their homes,” Kenyan police spokesman Bruno Shioso said later.