President William Ruto is in Kigali, Rwanda, to attend President Paul Kagame’s inauguration for his fourth term.
Ruto was among the heads of state and high-profile dignitaries gracing the historic event at Kigali’s Amahoro National Stadium on Sunday, August 11.
In an update early Sunday, Nairobi State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said the president was invited by his host.
Hussein sought to underscore the importance of Ruto’s presence in Kigali, attributing it to the Nairobi-Kigali mutual relations that have been strategically active for both countries for years.
“President William Rutoย travels to Kigali, Rwanda, today at the invitation of H.E. Paul Kagameย to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Kagame for his fourth term, following the successful July 15th election.
Under President Kagame, Kenya-Rwanda relations have blossomed, with commercial and people-to-people ties further consolidating for the mutual benefit of both countries and the region,” said Hussein via X.
This would be Ruto’s first tour out of the country after many months of being grounded within the borders.
Ruto’s last trip was in early June in Seoul, South Korea, where he graced the Korea-Africa Summit.
He would later be abnormally grounded within the country as the Kenyan youth took to the streets to protest the draconian tax bill passed in the National Assembly.
The protests kicked off on June 18, with the aggrieved public pressuring parliament to throw away the condemned Finance Bill 2024, in which oppressive tax measures had been proposed.
The climax of the anti-state political activism spearheaded by the youth was on June 25 after protesters breached the National Assembly.
The move forced Ruto to declare the withdrawal of the bill and sanction budget cuts and austerity measures to cover the shortfall occasioned by the withdrawal of the bill.
Ruto seemed to shelve the international tours that he had been known for in the recent past, choosing to address the issues leading to the political crisis in the country.
Besides withdrawing the bill, Ruto undertook several measures to appease the restive youth.
He fired his entire Cabinet on July 11 and reappointed a new team that was sworn in on August 8.
The president also directed the scrapping of budgets in the offices of the First Lady, Second Lady and that of the spouse of the Prime Cabinet Secretary.
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