Welcome and goodbye

President Uhuru Kenyatta and deputy William Ruto on Saturday met at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as Uhuru left for Addis Ababa.

President Kenyatta left for the African Union (AU) Heads of State special summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at 7a.m., minutes after Mr Ruto had landed from The Hague.

Mr Ruto is expected to return to The Hague on Sunday night after just about 40 hours in the country in what is a clear pointer that he briefly came home to take charge, in the absence of the President, in line with his constitutional mandate.

Mr Ruto, who was on a Kenya Airways flight from Amsterdam, landed at 6.30a.m. and waited to see off the President, who was joining fellow African leaders to discuss the International Criminal Court case awaiting him at The Hague.

The two had a hearty chat, then President Kenyatta left for Addis Ababa aboard a Kenya Air Force plane.

They looked each other straight in the eye as they laughed over the evidently warm handshake to the admiration of those who were watching them.

They spent some minutes talking, probably briefing each other on the unfolding events at the international court and the progress back at home since Mr Ruto left the country a week after he had returned following the September 21 terrorist attack on the Westgate mall.

It was a brief session and neither leader addressed the media as Mr Ruto left the airport immediately after the President’s plane was airborne. The African leaders were expected to adopt a resolution for AU to withdraw from ICC.