President-Elect William Ruto has added more allies to the committee charged with preparing for his swearing-in next Tuesday as he seeks to ensure the success of the event.

Presently, the majority of the members of the Assumption of the Office of President Committee opposed his candidature and concerns have persisted around their commitment to ensure smooth handover of power.

However, as the D-day nears, the DP has now populated the team with more of his allies in a bid to ensure a smooth transition from an administration that invested huge amounts of state resources to fight his presidential bid.

Ruto and Deputy President-elect Rigathi Gachagua will be sworn in at Kasarani Stadium in an event to be attended by top dignitaries including presidents from the neighbouring countries.

Yesterday, a number of his allies including former Foreign Affairs Chief Administrative Secretary Ababu Namwamba and former Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua joined the committee and will be expected to actively participate in the preparations for the event.

This is in addition to Ruto’s other representatives in the team led by former National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi, United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General Veronica Maina and Uasin Gishu Woman Rep Gladys Shollei.  Earlier Ruto’s Chief of Staff Davis Chirchir was also incorporated in the committee.

A number of junior staff from his office have also been taken in including Spokesman Hussein Mohammed and Dennis Itumbi. The committee sat for the first time yesterday since the Supreme Court dismissed a petition challenging Ruto’s victory affirming he was validly elected as the country’s next President on August 9.

Although it was constituted a few days to the polls, it had temporarily suspended its activities as it waited for the court to determine the petition filed by his challenger Raila Odinga of Azimio coalition.

However, Head of Civil Service Joseph Kinyua, who chairs the team, yesterday said it was back to work and was working hard to ensure the inauguration is successful.

Kinyua revealed that the outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta had tasked him with overseeing the transition.

“The peaceful and orderly transition in administrations is a hallmark of our democracy and an essential statement of our nation’s status as a beacon of stability, democracy and the rule of law,” Kinyua said yesterday.

The team is established by the Assumption of the Office of President Act that was enacted in 2012 and spells out in detail what should be done when one President is handing over power to the next.

Other members of the committee are Attorney General Kihara Kariuki, Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho, Chief of Defence Forces Robert Kibochi, National Intelligence Service Director Philip Kameru, State House Comptroller Kinuthia Mbugua, Chief Registrar of Judiciary Anne Amadi among others.

Despite the uncertainty fueled by the incumbent President’s failure to congratulate Ruto after being confirmed the winner by the Supreme Court, Kinyua said the law will be followed to the letter saying assumption of office was an exercise properly anchored in the Constitution.

“The mandate bestowed upon the committee is sacred and the burden of that responsibility is heavy. We are all cognizant that we are called upon to exercise this solemn mandate with fidelity to our laws and with aspirations of Kenyans as our north star,” added Kinyua, whose name featured prominently in the petition in court challenging Ruto’s victory.

Kinyua was accused by IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati of calling him to inform him of an advanced meeting he was supposed to hold with a number of members of the National Security Advisory Committee (NSAC) a few hours before he announced the final results.  

Rehearsals

Chebukati further accused the NSAC members of attempting to force him to moderate the results and announce Raila the winner or force a run-off.

In response, Kinyua and the members of the security committee acknowledged the meeting but said they had met Chebukati to find out what had happened after live streaming of results stopped.

Already, the Kenya Defence Forces has commenced rehearsals at the stadium for the occasion that would see the country peacefully transition from one administration to the next for the third time since 2002.

On Monday, the President said he will obey the Supreme Court’s decision and will ensure the democratic wheels turn.  

“When I was sworn in as your President, I made a pledge to uphold the rule of law and the decisions made by the judiciary,” he said. After the court’s determination, Ruto said he would call the President to find out about transition plans revealing they hadn’t spoken for long.

“I will be putting a call to my friend, President Uhuru Kenyatta. I haven’t talked to him in months but shortly I will make a call so we can talk on transition,” he said.