President Uhuru Kenyatta has said he will be in attendance to hand over power to president-elect William Ruto as it has been tradition after every five years since independence.
Addressing the nation today ahead of the swearing-in ceremony tomorrow, Kenyatta said he will emulate that honoured tradition and hand over the mantle to his successor.
“Since independence, we have every five years, without failure reaffirmed our democratic credentials. We have done so by returning to the people. Tomorrow, I will emulate this tradition and handover the mantle to my successor, Dr William Samoei Ruto and I am profoundly grateful for the honour and privilege that you bestowed me to serve as the 4th president of this great republic of Kenya,” he stated
He later went on to pass gratitude to his staff and to Kenyans for walking with him all the way, in good times and the bad.
“In my service to you the people of Kenya, I was supported by a cabinet, principal secretaries, holders of constitutional offices, security agencies, our ambassadors and permanent representatives in all our missions abroad and indeed by all public servants. Most importantly, you the people of Kenya have walked with me each and every step of the way, cheering me but also chastising me as the occasion dictated,” he said.
“To you all and to all who have walked with me in my 10 year tenure as president, please accept my immense and deep gratitude,” he added.
Kenyatta stated that the inauguration ceremony tomorrow should be aimed to unite Kenyans.
“Fellow Kenyans, tomorrow is an inauguration. The last step in a process of electioneering. It is the moment for us to come together as one people to pursue the promise of Kenya as destined by God,” he said.
He noted that the doors of State House have been opened to the technical team from the office of the president-elect so as facilitate a smooth transition process.
“The work of building a nation is a continuous endeavour passed from one generation to another, as one administration hands over to the next, in an unbroken chain that seeks to progressively build a more united equitable and prosperous Kenya. On my part as the Head of State, I hand over leadership of a nation that has undergone consequential transformation over the last decade in every aspect of our national life,” he said.