Kiambaa Member of Parliament Paul Koinange was yesterday buried in an emotional send-off at his Kiambu home.
During the funeral rites ceremony which was held under strict COVID-19 protocols, leaders who turned up described Koinange as a champion of peace citing his contribution to the South Sudan peace negotiations.
A stickler for rule and order, his burial, with the 72-hour limit set by the Government, followed the laid down Covid-19 burial protocol to the letter.
Leaders termed his death as a big blow to the country’s peace process and especially the Building Bridges Initiate (BBI) process.
President Uhuru Kenyatta was represented by his brother Muhoho Kenyatta who underscored the bond between Koinange’s family and that of the late Jomo Kenyatta.
From his family to the parliamentary leaders who were present led by National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi, the short event saw everyone who paid tribute to the late MP recount how the former legislator provided solutions to almost every problem taken to him.
His widows June and Mary praised him as a loving and caring spouse who was born again and cared about everyone.
“He genuinely cared for people he knew and even the ones he didn’t know. I promise to continue helping those the foundation he had started was helping,” said Mary as she thanked President Kenyatta for bestowing to her husband the enormous task of chairing the security committee in the National Assembly.
His daughter Muthoni praised him recounting his last three weeks which he spent hunting the family.
“He was born again and he dedicated his time, life, and money to God. Together we founded the Video Track Revival, a video library at Hurlingham that later became a ministry,” said Muthoni, recognising Koinange’s key role as a member of the Parliamentary Prayer Group that leads the annual prayer day.
She added: “I choose to celebrate my father. His greatest attribute during his last days was to unify the two families. This day is a celebration of life and the good things he did for us and the rest of the community.”
Raila’s brother Oburu Oginga was also present at the funeral.
“Koinange was in the forefront in supporting BBI and Raila was his close friend. We worked together for a very long and was been at the forefront campaigning for BBI and the ‘handshake’. We won’t forget him for the good things he did to unite the country,” said Oburu.
Last respects
Members of the public lined up along the road leading to his home to give their last respects as the hearse carrying his remains made way to his final resting place.
The hearse was escorted by police outriders.
Apart from family members, dignitaries, and MPs, no one else was allowed access to the home. Even journalists who were covering the event had to it from a distance.
The road leading to his home was recarpeted. Inside the compound, there were only two tents with seats arranged in line with the covid-19 one-metre rue.
Koinange died of Covid-19 complications on March 31, while receiving treatment at Nairobi Hospital. He was serving his second term in Parliament.
Born in 1949, the late MP had worked in the Ministry of Labour, had a short stint in clearing and forwarding business after which he joined politics in the footsteps of his famous grandfather and uncle, Mbiyu Koinange.
Unassuming, and described by many as a gentle giant, the late Koinange was a silent mover of affairs in Kenya. To his family, however, Koinange was a simple family man.
