By Patricia Molyne Mataga
President William Ruto has joined the rest of the world in mourning the shocking death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
Rais was on Monday, May 20, 2024, confirmed dead following a helicopter crash on Sunday afternoon.
In his message of condolences, Ruto described the late Iranian President as “a fearless leader and a dedicated public servant with a long and distinguished career in public service”.
“He was a firm leader committed to the causes that he believed in and sought to elevate Iran’s standing on the global stage,” the Head of State added.
Kenya and the Republic of Iran share cordial relations.
It is only a few months ago that Rais made his first-ever trip to the African Continent as President, and he chose Kenya as his first destination.
As we condole with the people of Iran, we commend Allah’s mercy and comfort to the people of Iran.
“I wish to express my heartfelt condolences and solidarity with the people of Iran at this challenging time,” the President said.
Raisi died alongside his Foreign Minister, Hossein Abdollahian and his entire entourage of senior officials.
Reports indicate that rescue teams began searching for Raisi on Sunday afternoon after his aircraft, which also carried nine other officials went missing in Iran’s mountainous northwestern region near the Azerbaijan border.
On Monday morning, relief workers located the missing helicopter.
State TV reported that the president’s body and that of the others on board had been identified.
First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber will assume interim presidential powers.
However, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has already asked Mokhber to ensure the election of a new president within 50 days, state media reported.
The late Iranian President Rais served as the eighth president of Iran from 2021 until his death in 2024.
A Principlist and a Muslim jurist, he became president after the 2021 election.