Russia congratulates President-elect William Ruto
President-elect William Ruto during the inaugural meeting with Kenya Kwanza leaders at his official residence in Karen on August 17, 2022.
What you need to know:
- The Russian Embassy in Nairobi expressed hope that the President-elect will ensure that the two countries enjoy their diplomatic ties.
- The Embassy said that it had lots of confidence that the citizens of the two countries will be reinvigorated and further strengthened.
- Other nations that have already congratulated Ruto include South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia and Nigeria.
Russia has become the latest country to congratulate President-elect William Ruto after last week's General Election
In its congratulatory statement, the Russian Embassy in Nairobi expressed hope that the President-elect will ensure that the two countries enjoy their diplomatic ties.
“The Embassy of the Russian Federation has the honour to congratulate His Excellency Dr William Ruto upon his announcement of him being elected as the President of Kenya,” the statement read in part.
“The Embassy of Russia is looking forward to continuing and further developing comprehensive and mutually beneficial cooperation with Kenya.”
According to the statement, the Embassy said that it had lots of confidence that the citizens of the two countries will be reinvigorated and further strengthened.
The current Russian Ambassador to Kenya Dmitry Maksimychev has been at the forefront of ensuring that the relationship between the two countries remains cordial.
Recognition
Other nations that have already congratulated Ruto include South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia and Nigeria.
The US Embassy in Nairobi congratulated the people of Kenya for exercising their right to vote in last week’s elections.
Saying that the electoral process was an important milestone, the embassy also urged all parties to work together to peacefully resolve any remaining concerns about the election through existing dispute resolution mechanisms.
“We ask all political party leaders to continue to urge their supporters to remain peaceful and refrain from violence during the electoral process.”
The embassy also commended Kenyan citizens for shaping robust discussions throughout the campaign period.
“We applaud the efforts of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, security forces, and all electoral institutions to organize a peaceful and orderly voting and counting process,” the embassy noted.
On Monday, IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati announced Rutoto as the President-elect after he garnered 7.1 million votes, about 50.5 per cent of the total votes cast.
Azimio la Umoja's Raila Odinga came in second with 6.9 million votes, about 48.85 per cent.
But Mr Odinga has rejected the results and said he would explore legal and constitutional avenues to challenge the outcome.
