President William Ruto has confirmed that he will not attend the Global Peace Leadership Conference, which starts today in Nairobi.
According to promotional materials, the summit was scheduled from Tuesday, June 25, to Thursday, June 27. It would attract participants from all over the world to "explore and discuss ways to promote peace, development, and cooperation."
President Ruto was scheduled to deliver a keynote address on Wednesday.
However, planners declared in the morning that the opening ceremony would be postponed due to "the events over the last two days in Kenya, the loss of lives, and the casualties of the protests at the Parliament on June 25."
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They stated that Ruto was no longer attending the meeting.
“We mourn those who have died, pray for a full recovery for those who were injured, and hope for healing for this nation so that it can find a way forward towards a future that benefits all its people,” read a statement shared online.
According to The Global Peace Leadership Conference website, its aims include supporting an "African Renaissance that draws on Africa's unique heritage and the strength of its spirituality and traditional values," empowering African leadership, establishing intracontinental connections, and creating "ethical global citizenship."
In a late evening address, President William Ruto condemned the day's events as treacherous and accused "organised criminals" of hijacking a "critical conversation" on the Finance Bill to wreak mayhem.
He promised to clamp down on the "planners, financiers, orchestrators, and abetters of violence and anarchy" and to use the military to support the police force's security enforcement.
The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres Kenyan authorities to restrain violence against peaceful protesters.
