Ethiopia’s Ahmed Abiy congratulated Ruto minutes after he was declared winner. In the next 12 hours, messages came from Somalia, Uganda, Burundi, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zimbabwe heads of state.
In the region, it’s only the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Felix Tshisekedi, preoccupied with hosting South Africa Development Community (SADC) heads of state summit in Kinshasa, who hasn’t sent a direct message to Ruto. Instead, he congratulated Kenya on a peaceful election and expressed hope that the process will be completed peacefully.
#RDC 22.08.2022|#CitéUA
— Présidence RDC ?? (@Presidence_RDC) August 22, 2022
« J'ai suivi avec une attention particulière le déroulement des élections présidentielles au Kenya. Je félicite le peuple de ce pays frère, qui s'est exprimé par la voie des urnes »
A common thread ran through the congratulations messages: presidents said they are eager to work closely with Ruto on regional issues. “We look forward to working closely with you on common bilateral and regional interests,” Ahmed Abiy said on Twitter.
My congratulations William Ruto @WilliamsRuto, on your election as the President of the Republic of Kenya. I wish you best of luck in your endeavors ahead and we look forward to working closely with you on common bilateral and regional interests.
— Abiy Ahmed Ali ?? (@AbiyAhmedAli) August 15, 2022
“I wish to reassure you of Uganda’s commitment to continue partnering with Kenya in advancing regional
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