Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta resurfaced on Thursday, October 24 after months of speculation about his health.
In a post on X on Thursday, the Office of the Fourth President announced that Uhuru had arrived in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, ahead of the 15th High-Level Retreat aimed at promoting peace and stability on the continent.
“His Excellency President (Rtd) Uhuru Kenyatta arrives in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, ahead of the 15th High-Level Retreat on the Promotion of Peace, Security, and Stability in Africa.
“The retreat convened by the African Union (AU) Commission will focus on the Impact and Sustainability of AU Preventive Diplomacy and Mediation in addressing conflicts across the continent,” the statement read.
Photos posted on the platform showed Uhuru interacting with senior AU officials, including Bankole Adeoye, the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security.
The former President has not been in the public eye for a while and speculations emerged online suggesting that Uhuru was in critical condition and had sought medical attention.
The reports were circulated online by social media influencers, including Maverick Aoko, who claimed that Uhuru was under intensive care in the UK.
However, one of Uhuru’s close aides, Pauline Njoroge, dismissed the rumors, saying the former president was being victimized.
“Someone wakes up, as usual, creates a fictional story, and posts it on social media. But this time, it’s about someone’s health, claiming that the person is critically ill and in the ICU. Why would a normal human being do such a thing? To what end? Likes?” Njoroge wondered.
Uhuru was last seen in public in June when he addressed delegates during the 2024 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) Democracy Dialogue in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
Uhuru is the facilitator of the East African Community (EAC)-led Nairobi Peace Process, which aims to restore stability in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
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