The newly-refurbished Amahoro National Stadium is packed to the brim. Photos/Eric Ruzindana/KT.
President-elect Paul Kagame is set to take oath of office at the fully packed Amahoro National Stadium where more than 22 Heads of Governments or representatives of governments joined more 45,000 Rwandans to witness the swearing-in ceremony, following the July 14 Presidential elections which he won by 99.18 percent.
By press time, many of the Heads of States had made their way into the newly-refurbished stadium, where President Kagame will commit to the next five years as Head of State. The oath-taking ceremony will be administered by the Chief Justice, Dr. Faustin Ntezilyayo, as stipulated in the constitution.
Upon arrival with his family, President Kagame will inspect a guard of honour before proceeding to take oath and receive instruments of power from the Chief Justice.
Presidents Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, William Samoei Ruto, Wavel Ramkalawan of Seycheles, Gen. Clotaire Oligui Nguema of Gabon and Gen Mamadou Doumbouya of Guinée-Conakry ;were among those who had found their way to the stadium while more Heads of State were still arriving.
The swearing-in ceremony is featuring a spectacular Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and Rwanda National Police (RNP) parade and performances by musicians including King James, Bwiza and many others.
Other Heads of State present include Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar, João Lourenço of Angola, Denis Sassou N’guesso of Congo-Brazzaville, Faustin-Archange Touadéra of the Central African Republic (CAR), Philippe Nyusi of Mozambique, Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia and Ismaïl Omar Guelleh of Djibouti.
The military and police parade excited inauguration attendees.
More leaders include Presidents Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud of Somalia, Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan, who is also the Chairperson of the East African Community (EAC), Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhane od Sudan, King Mswati III of Eswatini, Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana, Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia and Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe.
Other Heads of State attending include Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana and Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinée-Bissau, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé of Togo, while South Africa is represented by Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Maropene Ramokgopa, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko of Sénégal, Vice President Jessica Rose Epel Alupo of Uganda, who is accompanied by Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada is representing Sao Tomé & Principe while Mali is represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdoulaye Diop. Other dignitaries present include Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria, Vice Presient Tiémoko Meyliet Koné of Côte d’Ivoire and Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC).
The Secretary General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo is also in attendance while Algeria is represented by Speaker of Parliament, Ibrahim Boughali.
President Ruto enters Amahoro Stadium.
