President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday made a surprise visit to Somalia where he witnessed the swearing-in of the newly elected Head of State Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, popularly referred to as Farmajo.
Kenyatta’s visit to the volatile nation was not made public until the last minute when his communication team announced it at around noon on Wednesday.
Farmajo, was sworn-in at a ceremony held in a highly-secured airport hangar to avoid an attack by the Al Shabaab group which has threatened a "vicious war" against the new government.
Schools, airports, businesses and all roads were closed and commercial flights suspended, with only vehicles carrying security agents and dignitaries attending the swearing-in ceremony allowed to move.
When he rose to address the dignitaries who attended the closely-guarded ceremony, the Kenyan President was welcomed with a warm laud of applause before he delivered his speech.
Kenyatta congratulated the new President, and assured that Kenya would remain committed to the achievement of sustainable peace in Somalia.
Other leaders who graced the ceremony included Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh and Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.
As a sign of the challenges facing the new administration, terrorists on Sunday staged a car bomb attack at a busy market, leaving 39 people dead.
Here are some of the photos:
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