President Uhuru Kenyatta when he took an oath of office as President of the Republic of Kenya for the second term, at Kasarani Stadium. [File]
President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to hand over power to his successor as prescribed by the law in about seven months.
Should everything go as planned then expectations are that the Assumption of Office of the President Committee should already be preparing for Uhuru’s handover ceremony.
The committee became operational when former President Mwai Kibaki signed it into law on August 27, 2012, five years after the disputed 2007 presidential elections.
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That was after opposition led by Raila Odinga, who lost the elections, demanded that Kibaki resigns, accusing him of swearing himself into office at night, despite the disputed outcome of the presidential poll.
The Act provides for the procedure and ceremony for the assumption of the office of the president by the president-elect in accordance with article 141 of the constitution.
Although it was signed in 2012, the Act only came into force on 4th March 2013 General election won by President Uhuru Kenyatta with William Ruto as his Deputy.
The Assumption of office of the President Committee is chaired by the Head of Civil Service and includes the Attorney General, Cabinet Secretary for Interior, Chief of Kenya Defence Forces, Director of National Intelligence Services and Chief Registrar of Judiciary.
Others are Eight Permanent Secretaries, Inspector of the National Police Service, Clerk of The National Assembly, and three persons nominated by the President-elect.
The functions of the committee are to facilitate the handing over process by the outgoing president to the president-elect and to organize the security of the president-elect.
It also coordinates the briefing of the president-elect by relevant public offices, facilitates communication between the outgoing president and the president-elect.
It is also tasked with the responsibility of preparing the handing over programme which includes the swearing-in ceremony.
Upon the declaration of final results by IEBC, the committee ensures that the President-Elect and the Deputy are given adequate security.
The President-elect should also be made aware of any security threats and other issues of national concern that the outgoing leader was dealing with and anything else that requires his or her attention.
