Nairobi — President-Elect William Ruto on Monday announced he would take the initiative to call outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Ruto made the comment shortly after the Supreme Court certified his victory even as State House remained silent on his election as President on August 9 and his subsequent declaration as President-Elect on August 15.
Relations between the two appeared to have irreparably broken down in the second term with Ruto, serving as Deputy President, contesting President Kenyatta's 'handshake' with Raila Odinga in March 2018 who he later picked as a preferred successor.
"I will shortly be putting a call to my friend President Uhuru Kenyatta, I haven't talked to him in months but shortly I will be doing a call to him so that we can have a conversation of transition," Ruto stated while laughing.
President Kenyatta has not formally congratulated Ruto, even as Odinga - whom he backed - rejected the results, terming them null and void.
Ruto's Kenya Kwanza Alliance adherents have read into the silence or failure to communicate with the President-Elect as signs of the possibility that the Head of State might skip the inauguration of his estranged deputy which is slated for September 13 by law.
"I know he has worked hard but the people of Kenya have made a decision and we have absolutely no issue with the democratic rights of Kenyans," the President-Elect said.
"I take no offence that he decided to support somebody else, we will remain friends as we have been in the context of where we are," he added.
President Kenyatta had in weeks leading to the election deescalated his rhetoric suggesting he would not hand over power to Ruto whom his camp has labeled as a thief, to whom the outgoing leader had earlier indicated would not have over to.
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"I am very clear that I will not hand over power to a thief," he once told a gathering at Nairobi's Inland Container Depot in May 2019 in the company of Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho.
With the Supreme Court having certified Ruto's win in a unanimous decision, the Assumption of Office of President Committee chaired by Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua is expected to swing into action and ensure a smooth transition come.
The committee whose core mandate is to facilitate a smooth transition from the current administration to the incoming administration held its inaugural meeting on August 12.
"Upon signing the certificate of inauguration, the outgoing President shall hand over to the President the following instruments of power and authority a sword; and the Constitution," Section 14 of the Assumption to the Office of the President Act (2012) reads.
The law dictates that upon the declaration of the final results of a presidential election, the Assumption of the Office of President Committee shall ensure the President-Elect and Deputy President-Elect are accorded adequate security.
Under the Act which streamlines the transfer of presidential power, public officers are compelled to share information with the President-elect.
The assumption of office is overseen by a committee headed by the Secretary of the Cabinet and other state officials in various ministries.
The committee is also tasked with planning security for the President-Elect and his deputy.
This team is also expected to prepare the swearing-in programme.
The law provides that the inauguration must be done in Nairobi and the day is a public holiday. The oath of office should be taken between 10am and 2pm.
