"I, Duma Gideon Boko, swear that I will faithfully and diligently fulfill my duty and fulfill my duties in the high office of President of the Republic of Botswana; that I will respect the Constitution of Botswana and honor the laws; that I will impartially direct my abilities to serving the people of Botswana and ensuring their well being. May God help me," Boko said in Gaborone during the inauguration ceremony, which was broadcast on national television.
Last Friday, outgoing President Mokgweetsi Masisi of the Botswana Democratic Party, which had been in power since the country's independence in 1996, conceded defeat in the election. Boko was declared president-elect the same day by the country's chief justice, Terrence Rannowane.