Ruto took the oath of office in a peaceful handover ceremony attended by 20 Heads of State including Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, Felix Tshisekedi of DRC and Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda among others.
Ruto was born in 1966. He won the August 9 elections, with 50.4% votes over his rival Raila Odinga who obtained 48,9%.
Odinga challenged election results and filed an appeal but ended in vain as the Supreme Court confirmed the victory of Ruto.
During a ceremony held on Tuesday 13th September 2022 at Moi International Sports Centre in Nairobi; Uhuru Kenyatta, the outgoing president, handed over instruments of power to Ruto amid tight security in and around the venue.
The ceremony brought together thousands of Kenyans and dignitaries from different corners of the world in support of the new president.
Ruto took the allegiance and office oaths where he pledged to protect the constitution, defend national integrity and sovereignty, truly and diligently serve Kenyans and the Republic of Kenya and diligently discharge his duties.
He also vowed to deliver justice to all in accordance with the constitution, and the laws of Kenya without fear, favor, affection and ill will.
After signing the two oaths, Ruto received the certificate of inauguration and office instruments from his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta.
His deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, was also sworn in shortly after him.
This garden which sits on nearly 3 hectares, has 15 main features all depicting troubles that victims went through during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The first section of this garden is named ‘Ubusitani Bwumye’ translated as ‘Airid Garden’.
It is composed of stones representing over a million victims killed in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The garden also has trees that are normally grown in the desert to represent the soldiers of Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPA) that fought the Liberation Struggle and stopped the Genocide despite hurdles they went through.
The other part is named ‘Ubusitani Butoshye’ translated as ‘Flourishing Garden’. It comprises one hundred trees representing the 100 days of the Genocide during which over 1 million victims were brutally murdered.
Of these trees, one was planted by First Lady Jeannette Kagame while others were planted by Rwanda’s friends and the survivors of the Genocide against the Tutsi. All the types of planted trees hold a great significance to the history of Rwanda.
They include Ficus thonningii used by Rwandans to make different household items.
Other trees include Erythrina planted as a sign of defense and beauty among others.
This garden also features artificial water bodies including rivers and swamp to depict the ordeal endured by Tutsis who were dumped in rivers and others who survived from their hiding places in swamps among others.
Sorghum field is another feature of the garden representing hiding places for Tutsis during the Genocide.
The garden also has a mass grave in memory of Tutsis killed and dumped in holes across the country and a venue for commemoration activities with the capacity to host 6000 mourners.
The inaugural ceremony of this memorial garden was attended by different dignitaries including First Lady Jeannette Kagame who provided funding for its construction, the Minister of the National Unity and Civic Engagement, Dr. Jean Damascène Bizimana and the Mayor of Kigali City, Pudence Rubingisa.
The idea of building this garden surfaced in 2000 but the implementation delayed owing to efforts to gather more ideas to reach the best outcome.
{{Intervention of French visual artist and photographer}}
The idea to construct this garden was introduced by Bruce Clarke who visited Rwanda for the first time as a photographer. Arriving in the country, he got inspiration to show the real image of Rwanda after the Genocide against the Tutsi to the world.
The French photographer and visual artist was also among participants of the inauguration ceremony. The project was implemented in collaboration between relevant stakeholders.
Speaking at the occasion, Clarke revealed how the idea to establish the garden came to his mind.
“I visited Rwanda for the first time in August 1994. That time, I was a photographer. I had been mandated by a certain number of civil societies coordinated by Rwandan community in France to make photo reportage of what life was like after the Genocide,” he said.
Clarke went on to explain that he was sent to Rwanda as a photographer because there was still confusion about the image of Rwanda after the Genocide.
“In Europe, we were getting a lot of images of the aftermath of the Genocide. However, these images weren’t taken in Rwanda. They were coming from Congo, Tanzania and other places outside Rwanda and were basically of the families who escaped with the killers,” he said.
“That is why it is so important to document what was happening inside Rwanda at that time because what we saw from the images coming from Rwanda, were that the victims were absent from the picture. What was actually happening was that history was being re-written in newspapers or on television in Europe,” he added.
After coming to Rwanda, Clarke was touched by the bitter history of the country and mulled ways to showcase it through art.
As Clarke revealed, he started thinking of drawings or sculptures but finally realized that none of them would explain the depth of this history.
“In the first two, three years which followed my first visit, I started thinking ‘what role can art play in a memorial process? What role can art play in posing an act of memory? The challenge was immense at the time because they had seen so many more priorities. There was one thing that motivated me. It was the thought that art symbolically gave back to humanity to people and that was what had been confiscated during the Genocide,” he said.
Clarke also narrated how he first thought the garden would have a million stones representing the number of victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi which was adjusted after discussions with others. The idea was broadened and resulted into the memorial garden with different sections.
He thanked the people who were involved in the project’s implementation, particularly, First Lady Jeannette Kagame.
“We built this with the help of the First Lady and Imbuto Foundation. At that time, 22 years ago when we were here, we were with Mrs. Jeannette Kagame. I am glad that after all this time, we are together even today,” he said.
The Minister of the National Unity and Civic Engagement, Dr. Jean Damascène Bizimana commended Clarke for his contribution to this project.
He said that the Government of Rwanda will make possible efforts to ensure that the garden is used for the right purpose.
This Memorial Garden is a symbol that will show the hard times that Rwandans went through in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the country’s resilience journey after the Genocide and the impact of nature which served as a hiding place for hunted victims.
It is considered as a bridge to link Rwanda’s past to its future as it has great significance to remembrance, education on the tragic history endured by Tutsis, how they survived and rebuilt themselves.
It is expected that Rwandans, especially the youth will be visiting this garden for free to learn from their country’s unpleasant history, reconciliation process and resilience journey.
The Head of State made the remarks on Monday as he officiated the opening of the 6th Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition taking place in Rwanda together with the first ever World Airports Infrastructure, Equipment and Services Exhibition.
The two-day Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition is held in Rwanda for the third time.
As he delivered remarks, President Kagame said that the last meeting held three years ago highlighted the importance of Africa’s aviation market for the continent’s ambition to become a single economic bloc.
The President revealed that the aviation was growing rapidly with a bright future before the outset of COVID-19 which severely affected the aviation with Africa being no exception.
President Kagame said that travel and tourism are now getting back to normal even through the industry is not back to where it was.
“The further liberalization of air transport in Africa can act as a catalyst to speed up the industry’s recovery, by increasing connectivity, stimulating demand and creating jobs,” he noted.
“In a wider context of the African Free Trade Area, open skies help to link our businesses to regional and global supply chains, boosting trade and investment,” he added.
The Head of State underscored that it is the reason why the full implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market must remain a top priority noting that Rwanda continues to do its part.
“Currently, RwandAir, our national carrier, serves 24 routes, 19 of which are in Africa. We intend to continue expanding within the continent and abroad,” he stated.
“We are working together with our partner, Qatar Airways, to grow RwandAir and build Kigali’s new international airport, currently under construction, into a regional hub for passengers and cargo,” added Kagame.
To accelerate the aviation industry, the Head of State said that the shortage of skills across the aviation value chain must be addressed.
He also stressed the need to prioritize the use of data and digital technologies to make African aviation safer, more reliable and affordable.
“The aviation industry has a role to play, in reaching our global climate adaptation goals and the use of sustainable fuels can help us get there, faster,” stated Kagame.
Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure, Dr. Ernest Nsabimana said that the summit is a great opportunity for the African continent to discuss avenues paving the way for the adoption of digital technologies in the aviation industry.
He highlighted that it is time for actors in the aviation industry from African continent to start working together to develop resilience against future shocks.
The summit brought together nearly 800 participants.
Rwanda’s Presidency has revealed that both leaders discussed ways to further strengthen the ongoing bilateral collaboration between Rwanda and Mozambique.
Kagame arrived in Kenya in the evening of Monday 12th September to attend the inauguration of Ruto due on Tuesday 13th September 2022.
Rwanda and Mozambique have been enjoying vibrant relations for many years. Last year, Rwanda sent joint troops of Rwanda National Police (RNP) and Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) to fight terrorists in the Southern Africa country.
In February this year, President Kagame received his counterpart of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi with whom they discussed the good progress that has been made between Rwanda and Mozambique in the ongoing cooperation towards securing Cabo Delgado as well as other areas of bilateral collaboration.
Kagame’s latest visit to Mozambique was in September 2021 where he interacted with Rwandan troops deployed to fight terrorists in the country.
Rwanda and Mozambique have cooperation agreements in different areas including security, trade and investment among others.
Kagame arrived in Kenya in the evening of Monday 12th September 2022 to attend the inauguration of Dr. William Ruto, the country’s president-elect who will be inaugurated on Tuesday 13th September 2022.
Upon arrival at the airport, Kagame was received by Kenyan officials including the country’s designate-ambassador to Rwanda, Peter Mundia Githiora.
Following the meeting with Kagame, Ruto expressed willingness to promote bilateral relations for the interests of both countries’ people.
“Kenya and Rwanda have a long established relationship based not just on geography but mutual interests and long standing partnerships on economic and security issues. We will seek to build and expand our cooperation for the mutual benefit of the citizens of our countries,” he tweeted.
The inauguration of Ruto will take place today at Moi International Sports Centre in Nairobi.
Over 60,000 citizens are expected to attend the ceremony in-person while others will follow it via television. Meanwhile, over 2500 dignitaries to grace the event in Nairobi include 20 Heads of State and Government.
Ruto was elected recently with 50.4% votes over his rival Raila Odinga who obtained 48,9%.
He will be serving as the fifth Kenyan President after the country’s Independence.
The group’s statement released today reads that relevant effective dates will be communicated in due course.
Alain Nkontchou, Ecobank Group Chairman has thanked Ade for his immense contribution during his seven years at the helm of the Ecobank Group as Group CEO.
“Ade can be rightly proud of his success in leading the implementation of the Roadmap to Leadership strategy, navigating Ecobank through challenges, seizing opportunities, and positioning Ecobank for sustainable long-term growth. Ade’s deep knowledge, unrivaled vision, commitment and infinite passion made all the difference. It has been a real pleasure working with him. I count on his continuous support to ensure a smooth transition as we onboard Jeremy Awori as the new Group CEO,” he said.
“Jeremy Awori is a highly respected leader in the banking industry with significant achievements in his previous capacities. The Board of Directors strongly believes that his drive and strong focus on results will be vital in steering the Group in its next phase,” Alain Nkontchou added.
Ade Ayeyemi also expressed his deep gratitude for the opportunity to lead the Ecobank Group. “It is a privilege to lead an amazing team of Ecobankers in bringing the Ecobank Group back to growth and continuing to realise our commendable pan-African mandate,” he stated.
Ayeyemi also expressed his commitment to a smooth transition and onboarding of his successor.
The incoming Group CEO, Jeremy Awori, responding to the announcement of his appointment said: “It is a great honour to be appointed Ecobank Group’s Chief Executive Officer. I look forward to consolidating the transformation of Ecobank, a truly pan-African institution full of talented people, while innovating to create value for all Ecobank’s stakeholders. I am humbled by the opportunity to contribute to the continent’s economic development and financial integration with Ecobank Group.”
Jeremy Awori is joining Ecobank Group following a twenty-five-year long career in the banking industry, with almost a decade leading Absa Bank Kenya Plc as the CEO and Managing Director.
Before joining Absa, Jeremy held multiple leadership roles at Standard Chartered Bank across the Middle-East and Africa. He brings a wealth of experience, skills, and industry know-how to the Ecobank Group.
{{About Ecobank Transnational Incorporated }}
Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (‘ETI’) is the parent company of the Ecobank Group, the leading independent pan-African banking group. The Ecobank Group employs about 13,000 persons and serves over 32 million customers through its consumer, commercial and corporate and investment banking businesses across 33 African countries.
The Group has a banking licence in France and representative offices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Beijing, China; London, the UK and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The Group offers a full suite of banking products, services and solutions-including digital- and not limited to bank and deposit accounts, loans, cash management, advisory, trade, securities, wealth and asset management.
ETI is listed on the Nigerian Exchange in Lagos, the Ghana Stock Exchange in Accra, and the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières in Abidjan.
He held bilateral talks with his Counterpart, the Chief of Staff of the Algeria National Popular Army (ANPA), Lieutenant General Saïd Chengriha in the context of Defence Cooperation between the RDF and ANPA.
The CDS was accompanied by the Deputy Chief of Staff of Rwanda Air Force, Col G Gasana and the Head of International Military Cooperation, Brig Gen P Karuretwa.
The bilateral meeting held at the Rwanda National Police (RNP) headquarters in Kacyiru was also attended by the Deputy IGPs; Felix Namuhoranye of Operations and Jeanne Chantal Ujeneza of Administration and Personnel.
IGP Munyuza said that the visit is a milestone in enhancing security cooperation between Rwanda and Benin.
“Our meeting today is premised on good cooperation between Rwanda and Benin because leaders of our two countries; President Paul Kagame and President Patrice Talon, set strong foundation on which we should work together to guarantee safety and security of our people,” IGP Munyuza said.
This foundation, he added, requires the two Police institutions to bring their efforts together with right actions to fight against organized and transnational crimes.
IGP Munyuza observed that this framework will streamline ways to establish practical channels of sharing information and intelligence on transnational crimes and terrorism that continues to threaten security of the continent.
Further, IGP Munyuza said that this partnership provide channels to explore ways to share expertise, including training, knowledge and resources to develop the capacity of Police forces of the two countries.
On his part, DG Soumail Allabi Yaya, who is in Rwanda for a five-day visit, said that the ties that unite the two countries is a stepping stone to unite the two Police institutions.
“I know you have a lot of experience in the fight against terrorism and we want to draw inspiration from it to protect our country, which has been plagued for some time by sordid demonstrations by lawless people,” DG Yaya said.
A statement issued late Friday by the EAC headquarters in Tanzania’s northern city of Arusha said the agreement was signed by the EAC secretary general, Peter Mathuki, and DRC’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lutundula Apala Pen’Apala, and witnessed by DRC President Felix Tshisekedi in DRC’s capital Kinshasa.
Mathuki said the agreement is in support of the implementation of the decision of the 22nd summit of the EAC heads of state to deploy a joint regional force to fight the negative forces in the DRC.
“The agreement envisages an initial deployment of the EAC joint regional force for a period of six months after which the deployment will be evaluated,” said Mathuki.
President Tshisekedi thanked the EAC for the deployment of the joint regional force, saying that instability in his country has been ongoing for over two decades.
“My highest wish is for the regional force to be successful and allow the country to turn over and focus on the economic and social growth of the country that will see it transform and shine in front of the world,” said Tshisekedi.
The new appointment was announced through a statement released towards the end of last week.
Munyarugero Canisius will deputize Lawrence Kanyuka who was named the spokesperson of the group’s political wing in August this year.
The duties were previously assumed by Major Willy Ngoma who continued to serve as the military spokesperson.
It has been quite some time since the fighting between Congolese Army (FARDC) and M23 erupted. The rebel group accuses DRC of failure of implement peace accords.
Since the fighting erupted, M23 has captured different parts of eastern DRC including Bunagana town.
Recently, M23 appointed new leaders of Bunagana and issued rules for citizens living in the town.
