"On behalf of the Government and People of Rwanda, I congratulate our Brothers and Sisters, the People of Kenya, for conducting peaceful elections on 9 August 2022. I also congratulate H.E. Dr William Samoei Ruto, the President-Elect," President Kagame revealed in a tweet.

"The Government of Rwanda attaches great importance to the good relationship and cooperation between Kenya and Rwanda," he added.

President Kagame’s message follows congratulations from the Government of Rwanda sent to the Kenyan President-Elect, William Samoei Ruto whose victory over rivals was announced on Monday 15th August 2022.

William Ruto who previously served as the Deputy President has been elected as the country’s fifth President after Independence.

Kenya’s Presidential elections in Kenya took place on 9th August 2022.

Results from Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) released on Monday, show that Ruto won with 50.49% of the vote, narrowly defeating veteran opposition leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga who secured 48.85 of votes. The latter was contesting his fifth election.

Following the election outcomes, Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has sent a message of congratulation to Kenya.

“The Government and people of the Republic of Rwanda express hearty congratulations to the Government and people of the Republic of Kenya on the successful general elections held on 9th August 2022,” reads part of the message.

“The Government of Rwanda further wished to congratulate His Excellency William Samoei Ruto on being elected as the new President of the Republic of Kenya. The Government of Rwanda attaches great importance to the cooperation between Kenya and Rwanda and wishes to take this opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to further strengthen the bod of friendship that exists between the two countries,” adds the message.

Other regional countries including Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi have also welcomed the newly elected president and assured him of smooth cooperation.

According to CNN, the election results announcement was delayed for more than two hours past the constitutional deadline and the country’s electoral commission was split, after four officials disowned the results from Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

It is said that the opposing officials staged a press conference of their own at another venue disputing the official results. The IEBC’s vice chair Juliana Cherera was among those who disagreed with the results ‘but provided no evidence of irregularities’.

Earlier Monday, Ruto’s rival Odinga’s coalition also rejected the election results before they had even been announced by Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

The national tallying center briefly descended into chaos shortly after Odinga’s coalition rejected the results, with fighting breaking out and chairs being thrown in the building.

Ruto thanked the people of Kenya for voting him as the next leader of the country in his first speech after being announced the winner of the election.

"In this election, there are no losers. The people of Kenya have won because we have raised the political bar. The people of Kenya are the biggest winners," he said.

He expressed his "gratitude" to Kenyan citizens "who refused to be boxed into tribal cocoons."

William Ruto won Kenya's fifth general elections with 50.49%.