President William Ruto has called on African leaders to ensure political competition does not divide nations, saying elections should determine who governs but never who belongs.
Ruto said democracy is tested not when citizens and political leaders agree, but in how they handle disagreements and the outcome of elections.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony of Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema as he began his second term, Ruto said African democracies must rise above political contests and preserve national unity.
“Democracy is not tested when we agree. Democracy is tested when we disagree. Elections will produce winners and losers. Some will celebrate, others will be disappointed. But when the contest is over, the nation must remain united,” Ruto said.
The President, who attended the ceremony on behalf of the Kenyan government and people, congratulated Hichilema and wished him success as he embarked on another term in office.
“On behalf of the government and the people of Kenya, I congratulate you, my brother, President Hichilema, as you begin your second term, and wish you and the people of Zambia every success,” Ruto said.
He said Zambia's enduring national motto, “One Zambia, One Nation”, carried an important lesson not only for the southern African nation but for the entire continent.
Ruto described the phrase as both a statement of national identity and an African conviction that differences should never be allowed to turn into divisions.
“We gather today in a country that gave Africa one of its enduring political convictions: One Zambia, One Nation,” he said.
“It is a statement of national identity, but it is also an African idea that our differences should never become our divisions.”
The President said political competition should not be allowed to escalate into national conflict, insisting that what unites citizens must always be greater than what separates them.
He said elections were designed to peacefully settle the question of leadership and should not be turned into contests over identity, citizenship or belonging.
“Elections are designed to settle who governs. They should never determine who belongs,” Ruto said.
“That is the responsibility of democratic leadership, not merely to secure the authority to govern, but to preserve the common nation in whose name that authority is exercised.”
Ruto's remarks come as African countries continue to grapple with highly competitive elections, political tensions and divisions often fuelled by ethnicity, regional interests and party loyalties.
The President said leaders had a special responsibility after elections to bring together supporters and opponents and ensure political differences did not undermine national cohesion.
He urged African nations to strengthen democratic institutions and embrace political tolerance, saying the ultimate test of leadership was the ability to protect unity even amid intense competition.
Ruto said Zambia's history offered an example of how a shared national identity could remain stronger than political differences.
His message underscored the importance of reconciliation and unity after elections, particularly as several African countries prepare for or emerge from closely contested political transitions.
The President said the authority secured through democratic elections must ultimately be exercised in the interest of the entire nation, including those who did not support the winning side.
For Africa's democracies to mature, Ruto said, leaders must recognise that political contests come and go, but the nation must endure.
