Kibaki pays tribute to Pamela Mboya

By Lucianne Limo

Leaders paid glowing tribute to the deceased widow of the slain Economic Planning Minister Tom Mboya.

The leaders spoke fondly of Pamela Mboya as they relived her moments as wife to the former minister, whose illustrious career was brought to an end by an assassin’s bullet in 1969.

President Kibaki led the leaders in eulogising a woman who dedicated her life to service of the nation.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka described Pamela as generous, loving and compassionate.

The President condoled with the family urging them to emulate her life, which was filled with hard work and dedication.

Make her happy

"Those who have been left behind should keep Pamela’s spirit alive. The spirit she had was to serve the nation. That will make her happy," he said.

He said the Government would foot Pamela’s medical and funeral expenses because she served the country diligently.

"I hope there is no one who can object to the State paying her bills. But if there is one, it doesn’t make a difference," said Kibaki, adding this was in honour of her work and that of her late husband.

Pamela, 70, died 40 years after her husband was assassinated in one of independent Kenya’s most enduring murder mysteries.

After Mboya’s assassination, Pamela led a low profile life and kept off politics. She served as Kenya’s envoy to the UN-Habitat and Chairperson of Helpage Kenya, an NGO.

Pamela died last week while undergoing treatment in a South African Hospital.

She is remembered by those who were of age in 1969 as a young widow grieving over her husband’s body at Nairobi Hospital, soon after he was shot on Moi Avenue (then Government Road) at noon on July 5, 1969.

Raila recalled his last moments with Pamela last September when he visited her at her house when she was unwell.

The PM spoke of two wishes Pamela told him before she passed on.

"She told me her greatest wish was to attend the inauguration of Barack Obama because she was in the famous airlift to the US with Obama senior," said Raila.

Greatest tribute

He recalled how Pamela pestered him to include her in the entourage attending the inauguration but sadly, she was too ill to travel.

The second wish, Raila said, was not for the public, but for the ears of the President and that he would inform him later.

Raila said he had lost a close friend.

Kalonzo said the greatest tribute to Pamela was heeding her call for the country to reconcile and bury differences that arose as a result of post-election violence.