Uhuru sends Matiang'i to Zambia with 'special' message for President

Interior CS Fred Matiang'i on Thursday arrived in Zambia to meet newly-elected Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema.

Government spokesperson Cyrus Oguna said Matiang'i was sent to deliver a 'special' message from President Uhuru Kenyatta.

"The two countries enjoy a rich history of cooperation in strategic and geopolitical interests, bilateral relations in trade and mutual," Oguna said in a statement via Twitter.

Just last week, President Uhuru was among the leaders who attended the swearing-in ceremony of president Hichilema.

Uhuru was accompanied by ODM leader Raila Odinga.

President Hichilema is veteran opposition leader sworn in as the seventh president of Zambia on Tuesday, August 24, after getting more than 2.8 million votes to President Edgar Lungu's 1.8 million votes, achieving one of the biggest electoral wins in the country's history.

In his congratulatory message to his election victory, Uhuru said he looked forward to working closely with Hichilema to enhance bilateral cooperation between Kenya and Zambia for the benefit of the people of the two countries as well as to advance the African agenda of a stable, peaceful and progressive continent.

At the same time, Uhuru bade farewell to outgoing President Lungu.

In his message to Lungu, he thanked the outgoing President for the role he played in forging closer ties between Kenya and Zambia during his tenure in office.

Lungu conceded defeat and congratulated his successor and longtime rival who scored a landslide victory in a bitterly contested presidential election.

"I would therefore like to congratulate my brother... Hichilema for becoming the seventh republic president," he said in a radio address.