8 p.m., KIGALI: AT least 10 Heads of State on Thursday arrived in the country ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of President Paul Kagame slated for Friday. President Paul Kagame will take oath to officially mark the start of a new seven-year term. The ceremony will take place at Amahoro National Stadium. About 20 Heads of State and Government as well as representatives of various governments are expected to be part of the ceremony. By press time, the Kigali International Airport was a hive of activity as high-level delegates arrived for the inauguration ceremony. Dignitaries began jetting in at around 1:00 p.m., Thursday, in their presidential planes with government officials at hand to receive them. 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. The president of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh followed shortly after preceding Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou. Other heads of state who had arrived by press time include President Macky Sall of Senegal, President Edgar Lungu of Zambia, Sassou Nguesso of Congo and Hage Geingob of Namibia. Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe Patrice Emery Trovoada is also among the heads of states who arrived yesterday. Other high-level delegates who had arrived yesterday include Former Tanzania President Benjamin Mkapa, the Vice President of Ivory Coast Daniel Kablan Duncan, The African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki, Speaker of the DRC Parliament Aubin Minaku and Former Botswana President Festus Mogae. Kagame takes oath of office 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. 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.
