KAMPALA: President Museveni has congratulated Kenyan president-elect William Ruto and said he is looking forward to working more closely with him.
Mr Museveni, who first spoke to Mr Ruto by telephone on Monday night, hours after he was announced winner of the presidential election, followed this up with a statement on Tuesday, 16 August 2022, assuring the new Kenyan leader of more partnerships between the two countries.
“Our bilateral cooperation will score tremendous achievements,” Mr Museveni noted.
“I wish to reassure you of Uganda’s commitment to continue partnering with Kenya in advancing regional and continental agenda through the East African Community, African Union and other multilateral platforms,” Mr Museveni said on Twitter.
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The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Anita Among, also took to twitter to congratulate Mr Ruto for winning the elections. She said Uganda is ready to work with Mr Ruto.
“I Congratulate H.E Dr William Ruto upon election as 5th President of Kenya. I also congratulate the people of Kenya for successfully exercising their constitutional right to elect leaders. As members of the East African Community, we look forward to working with you,” she said.
Agriculture minister Frank Tumwebaze asked Mr Ruto to go and serve the people who elected him to the highest position in the country.
Ruto obtained about 7.18 million (50.49 per cent) of at least 14million ballots to edge out 5-time losing presidential candidate Raila Odinga’s 6.94 million (48.5 per cent) votes.
However, the Odinga camp protested the outcome of the results and the loser of the election was on Tuesday afternoon expected to address a press conference.
In an extraordinary move shortly before the announcement, four of the IEBC’s seven commissioners disowned the results, with one describing the process as “opaque” but giving no details.
Ruto, the 55-old deputy president who was banished to the sidelines after Kenyatta’s pact with Odinga, was conciliatory in his victory speech Monday.
“I will work with all leaders in Kenya so that we can fashion a country that leaves nobody behind,” Ruto said, pledging to run a “transparent, democratic, open government”.
“There is no room for vengeance.”
