Surprise guests who’ll wine and dine with Uhuru
As President Uhuru Kenyatta will be celebrating with his counterparts after being sworn in to start his second term, there will be surprise guests who will also be taking part in the State luncheon among the local and international dignitaries.
Some will have been invited to the luncheon because of their past association with President Kenyatta while others will be there purposely because of their exemplary achievements.
Among the invited guests are Martin Kamotho, also known as Githeri man, John Gichuhi Macharia, the disabled voter who was caught on camera voting using his foot, the 2017 top KCPE pupil Goldalyn Kakuya and her parents Harrison Webbo Tanga and Mathilda Jerono.
Also in the list will be two musicians who composed and sang Jubilee campaign theme songs Ben Githae and Kericho’s 23-year-old Florence Jepng’etich, bloggers Samson Ogolla and Gordon Opiyo, an elderly woman from Nandi, Ms Cherotich Tallam, who is said to have predicted Jubilee win, as will also be President Kenyatta’s nursery school teacher, Madam Lorna Kageliza Chayuga.
For some of them, it will be their first time to set foot in the State House compound while for Kakuya and her parents, it will be the second time in less than a week as they will be making a return to the house on the hill after having been invited by President Kenyatta on Friday.
As is custom, the President and the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta will host a State luncheon for the Heads of State and invited guests at State House after the swearing-in at Kasarani Sports Stadium.
HEADS OF STATE
As of Saturday, government officials were talking of some 26 heads of state and government who have either confirmed their attendance in person or indicated they will send a representative.
Among the heads of government expected at the inauguration will be Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to Times of Israel, the PM will fly in on the morning of the swearing-in day and leave later the same day.
Tanzanian President John Magufuli, too, has confirmed his attendance, with the government remaining tight-lipped on the identities of the others.
The Sh300 million fete will be held at the 60,000-seater Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, with big screens mounted outside the state-of-the-art facility to allow 40,000 more to watch the event live outside the stadium.
Seven other presidential candidates in the annulled August 8 election and the October 26 repeat poll, including his arch-rival Raila Odinga, and their running mates, have been invited to the event.
President Kenyatta, sources said, will focus his inaugural second-term speech on a rapid economic recovery plan.