Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is among the 10 sitting heads of state that have already confirmed attendance at President-elect William Ruto’s swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday.
Officials from Ruto’s office privy to the arrangements said that Museveni is among the continental leaders who received the invites early in the week.
Others are Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, South Sudan’s Salva Kiir and Somali’s Hassan Sheikh Mohamud who were the first to congratulate Ruto after IEBC declared him the winner are also expected.
“We began sending the invites early in the week and by Thursday evening 10 presidents among several vice presidents had confirmed they will grace the ceremony,” said the official.
The official added that they have received acknowledgement notes from some other presidents who have promised to send their representatives.
The 77th high-level United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) which is set to open on the same day-September 13, in New York, he stated, is likely to affect the travels of other World leaders who had shown interest in attending.
“We have received apologies from other top foreign officials informing us they will be attending the meet which coincides with the ceremony,” he stated.
In 2013 during the swearing-in of President Uhuru Kenyatta, 12 heads of state attended the ceremony while nine graced the 2017 event.
Dignitaries from the African Union (AU), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), European Union, United Kingdom, US, China, India and Russia have been invited.
Ababu Namwamba has been tasked with coordinating the process in partnership with the Ministry of foreign affairs.
