President Uhuru congratulates Germany’s new chancellor Olaf Scholz
His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta has sent a congratulatory message to the new Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, His Excellency Olaf Scholz following his election and assumption of Office yesterday evening.
In his message of goodwill and best wishes, Kenyatta assured the new German Chancellor of Kenya’s readiness to continue partnering with his country for the mutual benefit of the two Republics.
At the same time, the President congratulated outgoing German Chancellor, Her Excellency Angela Merkel for a successful tenure and wished her success in future endeavours.
Scholz, the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), won the secret vote in the Parliament as expected, a culmination of months of negotiations following the SPD’s narrow victory in September’s federal elections.
Following the ceremonial protocols, Scholz went to see German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier who officially appointed him as the country’s new Chancellor.
He was then sworn in at the Parliament.
The 63-year-old life-long member of the SPD served as the Labor and Social Affairs minister in Merkel’s first coalition government in the late 2000s. In 2011 he was elected mayor of Hamburg, a position he held — with high levels of support — until 2018.
Since then, he has served as the vice-chancellor and finance minister in Merkel’s grand coalition government, a powerful position in German national politics.
