Caption: President Mwai Kibaki displays the Oath of Due Execution of office under the New Constitution as the President of the Republic of Kenya as he is sworn in by Kenya's Chief Justice Evans Gicheru during the promulgation of the New Constitution. Reuters
President Mwai Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende and Chief Justice Evan Gicheru took new oaths of allegiance and due execution of office under the new constitution.
President Kibaki, Raila, Kalonzo and the cabinet ministers took two oaths each.
In one of the oaths they pledged allegiance to the new constitution while in the other they swore to be faithful to their offices.
The Chief Justice was the first public official to take a new oath of office after which he swore in the President.
The new constitution is expected to bring major changes to the economy.
State heads from several African countries are participating in the event, including Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Sudanese President Omar al Bashir.
Al Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on allegations of war crimes and genocide in a five-year campaign of violence in Darfur, in western Sudan.
"The historic journey that we began over 20 years ago is now coming to a happy end," President Mwai Kibaki said after the referendum passed earlier this month.
But he tempered national euphoria by reminding Kenyans that implementing a new constitution will be a difficult task.
"The journey ahead of national renewal will not be easy," he said. "There will be challenges along the way. But it is important that we look forward with renewed optimism to better days ahead."
Changes to the constitution include a more decentralized political system that minimizes the president's powers.
It also brings land reform and allows dual citizenship -- a popular issue with Kenya's large diaspora community.
Al Bashir's presence at the festivities was criticized by Human Rights Watch.
Kenya should bar him from entering or arrest him if he enters its territory, the group said.
"Kenya will forever tarnish the celebration of its long-awaited constitution if it welcomes an international fugitive to the festivities," said Elise Keppler, senior counsel in the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch.
Al-Bashir has traveled to several countries since the warrant was issued, including a recent trip to Chad.
Any country that is party to the International Criminal Court has an obligation to hand him over to The Hague in the Netherlands, the court says.
Kenya is a signatory to the criminal court treaty.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment