President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga met in Lusaka on Tuesday after attending the swearing-in of the country’s new president Hakainde Hichilema. Raila Odinga arrived in Zambia’s capital on Monday, an announcement he made on his Twitter account.
Zambiaâs inauguration committee explained that President Kenyatta would represent Kenya in an official capacity while Raila was among opposition leaders from across the continent who were invited to honor the occasion.
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The ODM leader was invited alongside South African politician Julius Malema, Zimbabwean opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, among others.
Mr Hichilema, 59, was sworn-in as the 7th President of the Southern Africa nation alongside his Vice President Mrs Mutale Nalumango at a ceremony held at the National Heroes Stadium by Zambia’s acting Chief Justice Michael Musonda.
In his inauguration speech, President Hichilema said his administration will give equal opportunity to all Zambians, and pledged to ensure all citizens enjoy their freedoms as guaranteed by the constitution.
“I am a simple village boy you have made the 7th President. This victory is for all Zambians, especially the youth who came out in great numbers to vote. We showed the whole world the resilience of our democracyâ President Hichilema said.
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The new Zambian leader said his government will in the first five years focus on restoring macroeconomic stability, debt sustainability and ensure no Zambian goes to bed hungry.
“We will focus on inclusion and not exclusion; unity and and not division; and gathering and not scattering of our people,” President Hichilema promised.
He pointed out that the peaceful election and transfer of power had demonstrated Zambia’s strong democratic credentials to the world.
âWe have shown the whole world the resilience of democracy, the people have decided it was time for change and we can say change is here,â he said.
