President Salva Kiir is in Uganda on a one-day trip to attend the swearing in of the Ugandan president-elect, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

President Kiir is among seven heads of states that are already in Uganda to attend the ceremony.

They include John Pombe Magufuli of Tanzania; Edgar Lungu of Zambia; Idris Deby Itno of Chad; Mohamadou Issoufou of Niger; Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Ibrahim Boubabacar of Mali, among others.

Presidential press secretary Ateny Wek Ateny says the President is attending the ceremony to show long friend between South Sudan and Uganda.

“President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the people of Uganda have stood with us in the hardest times, proving to the world at large that South Sudan could count on the support of the Ugandan people and government,” Mr Ateny told reporters at Juba International Airport this morning as the president left the country.

“As such, President Salva Kiir Mayardit wants to show his gratitude by personally attending the swearing in ceremony of his brother, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.”

According to the electoral commission, Mr. Museveni won the election in February with more than 60% of the votes cast; beating seven other candidates in the race and will now lead Uganda for the next five years.