The Minister of Information and Communications Mohamed Rahman Swaray last Thursday 15 September 2022, said in Freetown that President Julius Maada Bio left Kenya early, without meeting with President William Ruto of the Republic of Kenya.He made this disclosure while addressing his ministry’s usual Thursday press conference at Youyi Building Brookfields in Freetown.
Explaining government’s handling of the controversial reception accorded the recent Sierra Leone delegation led by President Bio to Kenya, for the inauguration of President William Ruto of Kenya, Minister Swaray trivialized the issue and described it as ‘mischievous’ of people forming the opinion that President Bio “crashed into the programme”.
“It was a straightforward programme, to which all attendants were officially invited,” he said, adding that President Bio enjoyed full honour, from arrival onto the end of the ceremony.
He said presidential inaugurations are not programmes which people attend uninvited.
“So those naysayers who are canvassing all kinds of mediums are just jokers. In fact, on the morning of our departure, His Excellency President Ruto had asked to meet with President Bio, but President Bio already had prior commitment in Sierra Leone, so we had to leave early,” he said.
It would be recalled that a video made the rounds on social media in which President Ruto was addressing Heads of States from a congregation at his inaugural ceremony, thanking his guests for gracing the occasion, following his triumphant victory in Kenya’s just concluded general elections.
In the video, President Ruto said: “I have just been informed that our brother from Sierra Leone is also here,” referring to President Bio, which cast doubts on whether an official invite was made to the Sierra Leone presidency. There are concerns on whether President Ruto was aware of President Bio’s presence at the ceremony.
Many see President Ruto’s statement as a mere surprise clearly pointing out that though he was not officially invited, yet a whole president made it to the occasion, without officially passing through the right diplomatic channels of Nairobi. The diplomatic blunder caused a lot of embarrassments to Sierra Leone and her people home and abroad.
Speaking further at last Thursday’s news conference in Freetown, Minister Swaray described as unfounded and mischievous a claim in a letter circulating on social media that Kenya’s Deputy President had tendered a road project, as a way of mellowing down President Bio.
“The Deputy President [of Kenya] does not involve in tenders for roads, therefore the alternative letter about contract that has been going round on social media is a forgery,” he said.
