William Ruto Relishes at Meeting Uhuru Kenyatta at State House: "My Old Good Friend"
- President William Ruto was excited to show his successor, Uhuru Kenyatta, around State House Nairobi on the sidelines of the joint EAC-SADC meeting on the Eastern DRC crisis
- Uhuru went there in his capacity as one of the five facilitators of the process toward a lasting peace in Goma
- Uhuru shared moments with his successor post-meeting; they were photographed walking around the renovated state house inspecting the ongoing construction works
Former president Uhuru Kenyatta's visit to State House Nairobi seems to have excited his successor, President William Ruto, who embarked on showing him around a place he (Uhuru) once called home.
Source: Twitter
Uhuru was at State House Nairobi Friday, August 1, to attend the joint East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting to assess the situation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Why Uhuru was at State House Nairobi
In his capacity as the EAC chairman, Ruto co-chaired that meeting with President Emerson Mnagangwa of Zimbabwe, who is the SADC chairman.
Uhuru attended it given his role as one of the facilitators in the joint Nairobi and Luanda peace process.
Post-meeting, Ruto and Uhuru embarked on a tour of the State House.
Ruto said;
"I had the pleasure of conducting my old good friend, retired president Uhuru Kenyatta, on a tour around State House after the joint EAC-SADC meeting on the restoration of peace and stability in the DRC."
From the photos, and judging by his relaxed demeanor, Uhuru seemed to relish the atmosphere and the company of Ruto, as evidenced by the captured moments of laughter.
They strolled through the greenery and walked down the pavements before ending up in the interiors, where they seemed to inspect the ongoing construction works in the state house currently under heavy renovation.
Source: UGC
Ruto appeared committed to explaining every detail of what was going on there, with Uhuru keenly following as he was updated on that which hosted him for nearly a decade.
Their interaction spoke to a friendship rekindled after a long while of losing touch; their occasional laughter, seemingly deep conversations, firm handshakes, and a nudge by Uhuru aimed at Ruto at some point told it all.
How Kenyans reacted to Uhuru, Ruto interaction
Their meetup after a long while expectedly drew reactions from Kenyans.
A cocktail of political readings and hilarious takes.
Some of the reactions below;
@Samuel Ole Leboi said:
"Retired president Uhuru Kenyatta taking some laps to appreciate the changes done by president William Samoei Ruto at State House... Uhuru Kenyatta approves it; it's really two terms."
@Kidali Derick said;
"That ka push by Uhuru to Ruto is just wow. Cant wait for such moments between Rigathi and Senator Methu."
@Ivy Kaburu:
"He came to see how you have converted an architectural masterpiece into a chicken coop in the name of renovation."
@Mumbo Omayo Caleb;
"The brotherly gesture of love with laughter spiced with a friendly push full of understanding lightens up my mood."
@Baba Vicky;
"You should show him the 1.2 billion church, which replaced a bar."
@Moses Njau Ngugi;
"That's how you will be taken for a statehouse tour by Fred Matiangi come 2029."
@Eunice Unique;
"Who is supposed to give the other one a tour? He was brought up there; he knows every corner, and he spent 10 more years there as president."
The two leaders, as indicated earlier, met with others from the SADC, EAC, and African Union Commission (AUC) to decide on the way forward for DRC.
What EAC, SADC leaders agreed on over DRC crisis
After hours of speaking to the vital issues in the absence of the cameras, the leaders came up with resolutions to fast-track peace in the Eastern DRC.
The basic resolution was that the Nairobi and Luanda peace processes be merged and the African Union to take over to operationalise the efforts for peace.
The facilitators from the EAC and SADC will now work under the AUC structures as the continental organisation drives the process.
The Addis Ababa-based AUC will communicate the outcomes to all African Union Member States.
The crisis in Eastern DRC spans decades, with a resurgence in 2021.
Its latest escalation was in January this year, leading to hundreds of deaths and displacement of over seven million people after the M23 rebels advanced an offensive in Goma.
The fight has for a time caused tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, with Kinshasa accusing President Paul Kagame's government of funding the rebels; the latter has vehemently dismissed Kinshasa's claims.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
