First inauguration of Uhuru Kenyatta

The inauguration of Uhuru Kenyatta as the 4th president of Kenya took place on 9 April 2013.[1][2] Kenyatta won 50.07% of the vote in the 2013 presidential election, after the supreme court dismissed the Raila petition on 30 March 2013. According to Article 141 (2) (b) of the constitution, in case the Supreme Court upholds the victory of the president-elect, the swearing in will take place on "the first Tuesday following the seventh day following the date on which the court renders a decision declaring the election to be valid."[3] The event was held at Kasarani Stadium.A reception bouquet took place at State House,Nairobi.

Inauguration of Uhuru Kenyatta
Date9 April 2013 (2013-04-09)
LocationKasarani Stadium, Nairobi, Kenya
ParticipantsUhuru Kenyatta

Background

When the first round of the presidential election took place on 4 March 2013, Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the president-elect of Kenya by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. Raila Odinga challenged this in the Supreme Court of Kenya. However, his petition was dismissed on March 30, 2013.

Uhuru swearing will be 7th in Kenya after Jomo Kenyatta (1964), Daniel Arap Moi (1978, 1992, 1997) and Mwai Kibaki (2002, 2007)

Goodwill messages

Multilateral organisations

Africa
  •  Botswana: Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani said that Kenyatta should not set foot in Botswana if he refuses to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC).[6] He later retracted his earlier statement and apologised to Kenyans by saying that "Kenyatta is more than welcome to visit Botswana.. Botswana is cognisant of a section of the law that says one is innocent until proven guilty."[7]
  •  Burundi: Ambassador Ezechiel Nibigira conveyed President Pierre Nkurunziza's congratulatory message.
  •  Djibouti: President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh congratulated Kenyatta saying that the fact that he was elected in the first round shows the faith Kenyans have in his capacity to deliver.[8]
  •  Egypt: The Egyptian Ambassador to Kenya Kadri Abdel Mottaleb delivered President Mohamed Morsi's congratulatory message.
  •  Ethiopia: President Girma Wolde-Giorgis sent a congratulatory message to Kenyatta and wished him success for his term and anticipated close bilateral cooperation between the two countries.[9]
  •  Nigeria: President Goodluck Jonathan congratulated Kenyatta and urged him to continue with the process of national healing and reconciliation. He also urged him to form an administration that will meet the aspirations of all Kenyans.[10]
  •  Kenya: Outgoing President Mwai Kibaki congratulated Kenyatta.[11]
  •  Rwanda: Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo sent a congratulatory message on behalf of President Paul Kagame upon Kenyatta's victory saying that Rwanda supports the choice of Kenyans.[12]
  •  Somalia: President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud congratulated Kenyatta on his victory. He urged the other candidates to respect the outcome of the election.[13]
  •  South Africa: President Jacob Zuma congratulated Kenyatta and the Kenyan people following the successful elections and looks forward to strength bilateral relations.[14]
  •  South Sudan: The government congratulated Kenyatta and the Kenyan people on their country's successful elections. It said that its desire was to see the will of the Kenyan people expressed freely and fairly.[15]
  •  Sudan: President Omar al-Bashir conveyed his congratulatory message via the Sudanese Ambassador in Kenya.
  •  Tanzania: President Jakaya Kikwete sent his congratulations on behalf of the government and citizens of Tanzania. He said his victory represented the trust and hope of the Kenyan people in his leadership.[16]
  •  Uganda: President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni congratulated Kenyatta saying that their conduct has redeemed the honor of Kenya and Africa. He looked forward to consolidate the brotherly relations between their countries.[17]
  •  Zimbabwe: ZANU-PF described Kenyatta’s victory as a wake-up call to MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, whose ally Raila Odinga was defeated. It called it a stunning "articulation to date of a renewed mood of self-assertion by Africa’s anti-colonial leaders."[18]

Americas
  •  Cuba: Ambassador Raúl Rodríguez Ramos delivered the congratulatory message from President Raul Castro.

Asia
  •  China: Foreign Ministry spokeswoman congratulated Kenyatta on winning the election. She said that China values its relations with Kenya and regards it as an important partner.[19]
  •  India: High Commissioner Sibabrata Tripathi delivered President Pranab Mukherjee's congratulatory message.
  •  Pakistan: High Commissioner Rafi-uz-Zaman Siddiqui conveyed a congratulatory message from President Asif Ali Zardari.
  •  Qatar: Ambassador Ibrahim bin Mohamed conveyed King Khalifa's congratulatory message.
  •  Saudi Arabia: Ambassador Ghurum Bin Said Ghurum conveyed King Abdullah's congratulatory message.

Europe
  •  Russia: congratulated Kenyatta on his win and pledged to strengthen bilateral relations between the two nations.[20]

Planning

No activities will take place at the Kasarani Stadium between 9 March and the inauguration date as security officers make the necessary arrangements. More than 100,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony along with foreign heads of state.[21]

All president of EAC and neighbouring country have been invited as well as UK prime minister, EU president and President of USA.

The schedule of the day according to Francis Kimemia the chairman committee of Assumption of power of the will be as follow[22]

  • 10:00 am: All guests and members of the public are seated at the Kasarani Sports Complex
  • 10:30 am: Service Commanders (heads of Kenya Army, Kenya Navy and Kenya Airforce) arrive
  • 10:45 am: Invited Heads of State and governments arrive
  • 11:00 am: Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Karangi, arrives
  • 11:05 am: Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and Chief Registrar Gladys Shollei as well as Supreme Court judges arrive
  • 11:30 am: Guard of Honour marches to position
  • 11:35 am: Deputy President-elect William Ruto arrives
  • 11:40 am: President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta arrives
  • 11:45 am: President Kibaki arrives at Kasarani, is received by General Karangi and escorted to the ceremonial Land-Rover to enter the stadium. After the National Anthem, Kibaki will inspect the Guard of Honour.
  • 12:10 pm: Gladys Shollei, the Chief Registar of the Judiciary is the one to administer the oaths to Kenyatta and Ruto. She takes to the podium and invites CJ Mutunga who will serve as a witness. The Chief Justice will introduce Kenyatta and Ruto to the public and ask Kenyatta to take his position.

Kenyatta will take two oaths; – one pledging allegiance to the Constitution and the second is the solemn affirmation of due execution of office of president.

President Kibaki will then hand over the Instruments of Power and Authority to Kenyatta, which will be followed by fanfare and the National Anthem during which Kibaki’s presidential Standard will be lowered while Kenyatta’s will be hoisted simultaneously.

A 21-gun salute will follow, and Kibaki will be given his Standard by the Chief of Defence Forces.

Ruto will then take his two oaths, after which the Guard of Honour will march off the stadium to be followed by a session of entertainment. "Once he is sworn in, Deputy President William Ruto will invite Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni to make a speech on behalf of invited dignitaries and then invite outgoing President Mwai Kibaki to make his valedictory speech," Kimemia said. Ruto will then deliver his speech as Deputy President and then invite Kenyatta to make his inaugural address to the nation.

Once the festivities which are set to begin at 10 am and end at 2 pm are over, Kibaki will lead the way out and receive Kenyatta at State House where a lunch with invited Heads of State will take place before leaving the house on the hill and all it entails to him

Foreign dignitaries

The following dignitaries attended the ceremony:[23]

Heads of state and government
 AlgeriaPrime MinisterAbdelmalek Sellal
 Democratic Republic of the CongoPresidentJoseph Kabila
 DjiboutiPresidentIsmaïl Omar Guelleh
 EgyptPrime MinisterHesham Qandil
 EthiopiaPrime MinisterHailemariam Desalegn
 GabonPresidentAli Bongo Ondimba
 MoroccoPrime MinisterAbdelilah Benkirane
 NigeriaPresidentGoodluck Jonathan
 RwandaPresidentPaul Kagame
 SomaliaPresidentHassan Sheikh Mohamud
 South AfricaPresidentJacob Zuma
 South SudanPresidentSalva Kiir Mayardit
 TanzaniaPresidentJakaya Kikwete
 UgandaPresidentYoweri Museveni
 ZimbabwePresidentRobert Mugabe
Government representatives
 BrazilUnder SG for Africa and the Middle EastPaulo Cordeiro de Andrade Pinto
 Burundi1st Vice-PresidentTherence Sinunguruza
 ChinaSpecial EnvoyZhang Baowen
 GhanaMinister for Foreign AffairsHanna Tetteh
 IndiaMinister of State for H.R. DevelopmentShashi Tharoor
 MexicoMaría de Lourdes Aranda Bezaury
 MalawiVice PresidentKhumbo Kachali
 SeychellesVice PresidentDanny Faure
 Sri LankaDeputy Minister for Civil AviationGitanjana Gunawardena
 South KoreaSpecial Presidential EnvoyChoung Byoung
 United Arab EmiratesMinister of EnergySuhail Al Mazrouie
  Vatican CitySpecial Envoy of His HolinessFrancisco Padilla
 ZambiaVice PresidentGuy Scott
Heads of multilateral organizations
African UnionChairperson of the AU CommissionNkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
COMESASecretary GeneralSindiso Ngwenya
Commonwealth of NationsDeputy Secretary GeneralMmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba
Other attendees
 South SudanWidow of John GarangRebecca Nyandeng De Mabior
 United StatesSpecial Guest of the President-ElectJesse Jackson
 ZambiaFormer PresidentsRupiah Banda
Kenneth Kaunda

References
  1. "Plans to swear in Uhuru begin". Daily Nation (Kenya). 12 March 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  2. "Plans to swear in UHURU KENYATTA begin as Kasarani Stadium is LOCKED DOWN". Kenyan DAILY POST. 13 March 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  3. Inauguration ceremony on 9 April at the Kasarani Stadium Archived 27 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Statement by Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission on the Announcement of the Results in the Kenyan Elections". African Union. 11 March 2013. Archived from the original on 31 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  5. "EAC Secretary General Congratulates President-Elect Uhuru Kenyatta". East African Community. 11 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  6. "Skelemani warns Kenyatta on ICC". Mmegi. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  7. "Botswana minister makes Uhuru ICC U-turn". Daily Nation (Kenya). 14 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  8. "Djibouti president congratulates Kenya's president-elect". xinhuanet.com. 13 March 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  9. "President Girma congratulates President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ethiopia). 13 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  10. "Jonathan Congratulates Uhuru Kenyatta". thisdaylive.com. 10 March 2013. Archived from the original on 13 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  11. "President Kibaki congratulates Uhuru Kenyatta". statehousekenya.go.ke. 9 March 2013. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  12. "Kagame congratulates Uhuru Kenyatta". The New Times (Rwanda). 10 March 2013. Archived from the original on 14 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  13. "Somalia's leaders congratulate Uhuru Kenyatta". hiiraan.com. 10 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  14. "South Africa congratulates the newly elected President of Kenya". Department of International Relations and Cooperation. 9 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  15. "South Sudan Congratulates Kenyans On Successful Polls". Gurtong. 11 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  16. "Kikwete salutes Uhuru Kenyatta for poll victory". The Citizen (Tanzania). 9 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  17. "Museveni congratulates Uhuru Kenyatta". New Vision (Uganda). 9 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  18. "Zanu PF revels in Odinga loss". NewsDay Zimbabwe. 11 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  19. "China congratulates Kenyatta on election victory". Xinhua News Agency. 11 March 2013. Archived from the original on 13 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  20. "Russia welcomes Uhuru's poll victory". Daily Nation (Kenya). 13 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  21. "Presidential swearing in on March 26 if court confirms victory". The Star (Kenya). 11 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  22. Uhuru’s wife to hold Bible as he takes oath. Olive Burrows
  23. "Heads of state, envoys to attend Uhuru inauguration". 24tanzania.com. 8 April 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
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