[VIDEO] Kagame swears in today

President Paul Kagame takes oath of office, Friday, officially marking the start of a new seven-year term. The ceremony is taking place at Amahoro National Stadium.

Friday, August 18, 2017

Collins Mwai

Flags of African countries and organisations whose leaders will be attending the presidential inauguration hoisted at Kigali International Airport. / Timothy Kisambira

President Paul Kagame takes oath of office, Friday, officially marking the start of a new seven-year term.

Zambian President Edgar Lungu is welcomed by Stella Ford Mugabo, the Minister in Charge of Cabinet Affairs. / Timothy Kisambira

The ceremony takes place at Amahoro National Stadium.

Daniel Kablan Duncan, the Vice President of Cote d'Ivoire, is received by Gerardine Mukeshimana, the Minister for Agriculture and Animal Resources at KIA yesterday. / Timothy Kisambira

About 20 Heads of State and Government as well as representatives of various governments and organisations are part of the ceremony.

The President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Brahim Ghali, disembarks from his plane after landing at Kigali International Airport on Thursday. / Timothy Kisambira

By press time,Thursday, Kigali International Airport was a hive of activity as high-level delegates arrived for the inauguration ceremony.

Some of the presidential jets at Kigali International Airport. / Timothy Kisambira

Dignitaries began jetting in at around 1:00 p.m., Thursday, in their presidential planes with senior government officials at hand to receive them.

Denis Sassou Nguesso, the President of Republic of the Congo, is welcomed to Kigali by Natural Resources minister Dr Vincent Biruta (with back to camera) yesterday. / Timothy Kisambira

Central Africa Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera was the first Head of State to arrive followed by Brahim Ghali of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

Faustin-Archange Touadéra, the Central Africa Republic President, on arrival at Kigali International Airport yesterday. / Timothy Kisambira

The Djibouti President, Ismail Omar Guelleh, followed shortly after, just ahead of Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou.

Senegalese President Macky Sall receives a bouquet of flowers from members of the Senegalese community living in Rwanda at the airport yesterday. / Timothy Kisambira

Other Heads of State and Governments who had arrived by press time include Presidents Macky Sall of Senegal, Edgar Lungu of Zambia, Sassou Nguesso of Congo, and Hage Geingob of Namibia

Former Tanzania president Benjamin Mkapa greets Rwandan government officials on his arrival at Kigali International Airport yesterday. / Timothy Kisambira

Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe Patrice Emery Trovoada also arrived yesterday.

Patrice Emery Trovoada, the Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe, on arrival at Kigali International Airport Thursday. / Timothy Kisambira

Other high-level delegates who arrived yesterday include the Vice President of Cote d'Ivoire Daniel Kablan Duncan, Prime Minister of Madagascar Olivier Mahafaly Solonandrasana, the African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki, Speaker of the DR Congo Parliament Aubin Minaku, former Tanzania President Benjamin Mkapa, and former Botswana President Festus Mogae.

President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger greets Rwandan government officials on his arrival at Kigali International Airport on Thursday. / Timothy Kisambira

Kagame takes the oath two weeks after he was re-elected into office by an overwhelming 98.7 per cent beating Frank Habineza, of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, and Philippe Mpayimana, an independent candidate.

President of Djibouti Ismaïl Omar Guelleh (centre) was received at the airport by the Minister for Trade, Industry and EAC affairs Francois Kanimba. / Timothy Kisambira

According to the Rwandan Constitution, the President-elect takes oath of office within thirty days after the final results of the election have been officially released.

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