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Kibaki’s last stop in stadium he loved most

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Thousands of Kenyans Friday thronged Nyayo National Stadium to bid farewell to their third president  Emilio Mwai Kibaki who passed on last week aged 90 years. 

Kibaki won the Presidency in 2002 and served two terms before passing the mantle to President Uhuru Kenyatta. It was during his 10-year tenure that Kenya’s economy and democratic space grew by leaps and bounds.

Kenyans from all walks of life braved the chilly morning weather and patchy drizzle to attend the state funeral service on a day that was declared a public national holiday in honour of the fallen president who lay in state at the National Assembly from Monday to Wednesday.

Kibaki conducted most of his big ceremonies in Nyayo stadium.

“The State Funeral for the third President shall take place on Friday (April 29, 2022) at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi County with full Military Honours and Protocols,” a statement from the interior ministry read.

The events that followed since the announcement of Kibaki’s death by President Uhuru Kenyatta have purely been a military affair and a replica of his predecessor Daniel Moi who died two years ago.

The funeral ceremony and the national memorial kicked off at 10.42 am following the arrival at the sports complex of the military procession escorting the gun carriage bearing Kibaki’s remains.

The colourful procession arrived shortly after President Uhuru Kenyatta and a host of invited foreign leaders made their way into the stadium.

The gun carriage was driven into the stadium from State House as military officers matched beside it.

Kibaki immediate family members followed the solemn procession aboard an open military van.

A guard of honour was mounted after which the procession proceeded to the altar where the pallbearers and top military officials placed the coffin on the Catafalque to allow visiting heads of state including Cyril Ramaphosa(South Africa) Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia) Salva Kiir (South Sudan) among other top foreign leaders to pay their last respects.

Since the former president was a catholic, the requiem mass will be presided over by Archbishop Phillip Anyolo, the head of the Nairobi Catholic Archdiocese assisted by His Grace Arch. Bishop Martin Kivuva.



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