Confusion rocked Ole Sereni hotel in Nairobi on Thursday, March 30, 2023, after a presidential portrait of William Ruto fell shortly after he arrived at the venue for the American Chamber of Commerce Summit.
The Summit is held to provide a platform to strengthen two-way trade and investment between the US and East Africa.
The portrait was left lying on the floor for a while before it was fixed on the wall when the Head of State made his way into the hall.
Organisers noted that they were unable to fix the portrait immediately because there was a large screen that was preventing a quick fix.
“The presidential portrait was hanging loosely on the wall. At around 2:52 pm, it fell off. It wasn’t immediately returned until 3:20 pm when the president was about to make his way into the hall,” a witness told Standard Digital.
The President’s portrait is usually displayed at official functions attended by the Head of State as a sign of respect for the office.
Ruto’s return
The President arrived back in Kenya on Thursday morning. He was received by deputy president Rigathi Gachagua and Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome and other senior government officials.
Before his return, Ruto had left for Germany for a four-day visit to the Federal Republic of Germany and the Kingdom of Belgium, where he had gone to hold talks aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Kenya and Germany.
“In Berlin, the President will meet President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in talks aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Kenya and Germany,” a statement by State House spokesperson Hussein Mohammed read in parts.
“The President will also engage with the leadership of the European Union, including, Charles Michel, President of the European Union Council and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. His meeting will reinforce Kenya’s commitment to the Kenya — EU Strategic Dialogue, to deepen the partnership between Kenya and the European Union, under the three key pillars of Peace, Security and Stability; Sustainable and Inclusive Development; and, Economy, Trade and Investment,” the statement added.
