Uhuru Attends President Omar Guelleh’s Inauguration in Djibouti

President Kenyatta on Saturday arrived in Djibouti to attend the swearing-in of President Ismail Omar Guelleh.

Kenyatta traveled to Djibouti in the company of Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo and other government officials.

Guelleh, who has been in power since 1999, won the April 9th election with a landslide.  

He was re-elected for a fifth term after garnering 98.58 percent of the vote ahead of Zakaria Ismail, an independent.

About 215,000 voters cast ballots in the country with a population of slightly above one million.

The country’s main opposition parties boycotted the election citing concern about the fairness of the vote.

Under Guelleh’s reign, Djibouti has remained stable in a volatile region, drawing foreign military powers such as France, the US, and China to establish bases there.

Other African leaders who attended his inauguration include Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, President Muse Biihi of Somaliland, Somali’s Prime Minister Mohamed Roble, and Rwanda’s Prime Minister
Édouard Ngirente.

Kenya and Djibouti have enjoyed cordial ties for many years. In 2018, President Guelleh made a two-day State visit to Kenya and held talks with his host Kenyatta.

The talks focused on cooperation in trade, livestock management, vocational training, promotion and protection of investment, and exemption of visa for holders of diplomatic and service passports.