Gov’t Allocates Sh200 Million for Ruto’s Inauguration Ceremony

The government has allocated Sh200 million for President-elect William Ruto’s swearing-in ceremony next week.

Ruto, 55, will be sworn in on Tuesday after the Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld his win in the August 9th presidential election in which he garnered 7,176,141 votes, representing 50.49 percent of the total votes cast.

The Constitution states that the President-elect shall be sworn in seven days after the apex court validates his victory following an election petition.

Business Daily reported that the National Treasury allocated Sh200 million to the Assumption of Office Committee which facilitates the transition of power from the outgoing president to the president-elect.

The 20-member committee is also tasked with organizing security, personnel, and facilities needed for the president-elect, facilitating the briefing of the president-elect by various public officers, and organizing the swearing-in ceremony of the president-elect.

“The allocation of Sh200 million under the Executive Office of the President is provided for in the National Treasury for Assumption of Office activities,” the Treasury says in a report on the Pre-Election Economic Update.

The Assumption of Office of the President Act stipulates that the president-elect and deputy president-elect shall take oaths of office between 10.00 am and 2.00 pm on the identified date. The law mandates the State to declare the day of the swearing-in as a public holiday.

The oath of office is administered by the Chief Justice alongside the registrar of the High Court.

Once the president-elect takes an oath, the outgoing president is expected to hand over the instruments of power such as the Constitution and the sword of power before leaving for State House to officially hand over to his successor.