President William Ruto flew to Kigali yesterday for the first time in two months. His travel was restricted due to anti-government protests in Kenya. Dr. Ruto departed Nairobi on Sunday morning to attend President Paul Kagame’s fourth inauguration ceremony in Kigali.
Kagame, starting his fourth term, won the July 15 election with over 99 percent of the vote. This victory surpasses his 2017 result of 98.63 percent, as well as his 2010 and 2003 results of 93 and 95 percent, respectively. Kagame, 66, faces criticism for suppressing dissent and political rivals.
State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed announced that Dr. Ruto will join other heads of state and over 40,000 attendees at Amahoro Stadium. Mohamed highlighted that Kenya-Rwanda relations have strengthened under Kagame, enhancing commercial and people-to-people ties for mutual benefits.
This visit marks Ruto’s first international trip in two months due to unrest in Kenya. The unrest had halted his overseas travels as he worked to restore order at home. His previous trips were in June, when he attended the G7 summit in Italy and a peace summit in Switzerland.
Ruto returned to Kenya on June 17 amidst controversy over the Finance Bill 2024. Opponents of the bill had breached security and surrounded Parliament, intensifying the debate. President Ruto is also set to begin his three day tour of the Kisii region today.
