LIVE: President Daniel arap Moi’s funeral

The burial ceremony of former President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi is underway at his Kabarak Home in Nakuru County. It has started at 10 am. 

Standard Digital is updating the events as the country gives a sendoff to the former Head of State.

Mzee Moi is being accorded full military honours as a former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. His body was yesterday escorted from Lee Funeral Home to State House after which the military took over traversing the Nairobi CBD as they marched with his casket on a gun carriage to Nyayo National Stadium.

President Uhuru Kenyatta led the country in giving tributes to Moi in a ceremony that was attended by various heads of states and diplomats.

On Wednesday, February 12, mourners from various corners of the country arrived at Moi’s Kabarak home from as early as 3.30am. They were given a loaf of bread, a newspaper, water and soda as they settled down to wait for the funeral service to start. 

7:00 am: The body of Mzee Moi leaves Lee Funeral Home in Nairobi under heavy security to Wilson Airport.

7:30 am: The body is loaded into a military chopper M-71 at Wilson Airport in preparation to be flown to Kabarak Airstrip.

7:45 am: Body leaves Wilson Airport to Kabarak Airstrip in a 40-minute flight.

7:50 am: Chief of General Staff General Samson Mwathethe among other top security officials arrive at Kabarak Airstrip.

8:05: Military personnel comprising Kenya Army mount guard of honour as they wait for the body of Mzee Moi to arrive at Kabarak Airstrip.

8:10 am: Inspector General Hilary Mutyambai arrives at the airstrip in preparation for the cortege to arrive.

8:15 am: Kabarak Grounds where the funeral service is being held is already packed to capacity.

8:34 am: The military chopper carrying the body of Mzee Moi hovers at Kabarak Airstrip.

8:37: The chopper lands at Kabarak Airstrip. Legislators led by National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi are at the airstrip.

Colonels and Baringo Senator Gideon Moi (in suit) before the casket is offloaded from the chopper. [Photo: Standard]

8:42 am: Baringo Senator Gideon Moi disembarks from the chopper as the military personnel mount guard of honour before the casket is offloaded from the chopper.

8:53 am: Military officers mount a guard of honour as the casket is wheeled off from the chopper to the gun carriage nearby.

8:57 am: Military band plays the national anthem and a string of gospel tunes as they march.

9:00 am: Mzee Moi’s casket is loaded onto the gun carriage.

9:05 am: Gun carriage leaves Kabarak Airstrip with the cortege trailing the  presidential motorcade

9:20 am: Retinue makes its way to Kabarak University grounds.

9:22 am: Cortege arrives at Kabarak University Grounds where the funeral is being held. Distanced covered from the airstrip is three kilometres.

Military officers mount a guard of honour as they prepare to offload the casket from the gun carriage. [Photo: Standard]

9:28 am:  Military Master of Ceremonies Gibson Mwandawiro gives directions on the protocol before the casket is offloaded from the gun carriage and wheeled to repose. Family members lined up and mourners on their feet as they await the arrival of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

9:31 am: Casket offloaded from the gun carriage and gently wheeled to repose as the choirs sing ‘It is well with soul’ song.

9:36 am: Casket on repose and mourners on their feet to give honours to the late former president Daniel Moi. 

9:38 am: Pallbearers take their position and mourners on their feet as Rev Justus Mutuku gives opening prayer. After prayer, mourners take their seats and choirs sing Cha kutumani sina meaning “My hope is built on nothing else” as they wait for President Uhuru to arrive.

9:45 am: Muungano choir sings songs of consolation amidst sombre mood marking the sendoff of Mzee Moi.

9:50 am: 400 family members advised to board their buses to the gravesite where the late Mzee Moi will be buried when the time comes. Other mourners are requested to stay calm when the time for burial comes because the space is limited.

9:57 am: President Uhuru arrives at Kabarak University Grounds. Mourners stand for the National Anthem. All three stanzas of the anthem are sung accompanied by the military instruments. East African Anthem then follows.

President Uhuru arrives for the funeral service at Kabarak Grounds. [Photo: Standard]

10:00 am: President Uhuru takes his seat giving way for the congregational singing (song Cha kutumaini sina).

10:10 am: Family members Kimoi Moi, Talissa Moi, Barbara Moi are invited to read the opening scriptures 1 Chronicles 29: 26-27, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, 15-17.

10:15 am: Talissa Moi, Mzee Moi's grandchild gives short tribute: “The greatest legacy that one can pass to the grandchildren is not money,” she says.

10:16 am: Choirs sing

10:19 am: Rongai MP Raymond Moi reads the eulogy. Cracks a joke that the figure put for Mzee Moi’s great-grandchildren cannot be verified.

10:28 am: Congregation sings the song “It is well with my soul” on page six of the funeral program.

10:34 am: Rev Abraham Mulwa takes to the stage to invite Retired Bishop Silas Yego.

10:36 am: Bishop Yego introduces the clergy who interacted with the late former President Moi. 

Retired Bishop Yego thanks President Uhuru for according Mzee Moi a great sendoff. Says Mzee Moi was baptised in 1936 and had decided to follow Jesus Christ. Says he knew about death and that is where he proposed to be buried next to Mama Lena, his late wife.

10:46 am: Rtd Bishop Yego says: “I want to witness and say Mzee Moi is in the hands of his creator. He loved salvation. He could tell people to get saved, even his ministers.”

10:49 am: “He wanted all people to believe in Jesus Christ…If there was any person who I ever met who was strict in his Christian life, it was Mzee Moi.”

Narrates how he and Mzee Moi travelled to Israel to see the holy sites. Says Moi sat on a stone and told him, “look doctor, Jesus sat here!”

Says him and Gideon witnessed Mzee Moi’s health deteriorate. The emotional Silverstein sings recites a poem in Jewish language while paying tribute to Mzee Moi.

10:50 am: Narrates how former MP Mark Too tricked businessman Jackson Kibor to kneeled and ask for forgiveness after they had a disagreement yet Mzee Moi had not directed anything of such.

10:55 am: He says Mzee Moi was not a proud man but a humble person.

Says: “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify God.”

11:00 am: Urges politicians to live the spirit of unity that Mzee Moi had for the country.

11:02 am: Congregation sings song “Pamoja na wewe.”

11:04 am: Bishop Mulwa leads another session of prayer. Family members asked to stand. Four Bishops to stand in front of the family. Bishops Maina and Tarus to pray for the family members. Family members to are given a Bible each.

10:11 am: Family members resume their seats as they wait for their Bibles. Rtd Bishop Yego presides over the exercise of giving family members Bibles.

10:17 am: Rtd Bishop Yego reads Joshua 1:8 saying: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

10:19 am: Bishop Washinton Ngede invited to pay tributes to the late former president. Says Mzee Moi called him in 1982 and he prayed for him during the coup attempt. Says Mzee Moi came with his team and opened a church he was building in Kisumu. Says he loves Mzee Moi so much.

10:23 am: Arch Bishop Arthur Kitonga gives his tributes. Narrates how he met Mzee Moi in Mathare after being chased as missionaries by then Ugandan president Idi Amin. He says: “Mzee told me, Kitonga endelea na kazi.” Says him prayed together with Mzee Moi on several occasions.

10: 33 am: Grandchild Denise Laila leads others in reciting a poem as they pay tribute to Mzee Moi. The poem is “Last journey” by Timothy Coote.

10:38 am: Clint Kiprono Moi, son of Jonathan Moi pays tribute to his grandfather. He says: “I’m immensely privileged to be Mzee Moi’s first grandson.”

He says: “My grandfather remains a true statesman.” Says holidays for Moi family will never be the same again without Mzee Moi.

11:42 am: Dr Silverstein David gives his tributes. He says he first met Mzee in 1977 when he was a young cardiologist and Moi was a vice president and they began a 42-year-old relationship. Mzee later became his client.

Jokingly says he vastly travelled with Mzee Moi to ensure that they were not eating exotic foods such as cats, dogs or drinking buffalo milk in China.

10:52 am: Narrates how he and Mzee Moi travelled to Israel to see the holy sites. Says Moi sat on a stone and told him, “look, doctor, Jesus sat here!”

Says him and Gideon witnessed Mzee Moi’s health deteriorate. The emotional Silverstein sings recites a poem in the Jewish language while paying tribute to Mzee Moi.

11:55 am: Rtd Gen Lazaro Sumbeiywo pays his tributes to Mzee Moi. Says Mzee Moi’s administration worked to quell conflicts in areas of conflict in the country. Says Mzee Moi mediated conflicts between Samburu and Pokot communities.

12:00 noon: Says Mzee Moi entrusted him with the mission of ensuring that South Sudan got peace and independence-a task he says was one of the biggest in his career.

Says Mzee Moi was involved in peacekeeping missions in countries like Mozambique, Chad, Kuwait among many others.

12:04 noon: Sally Kosgei pays her tributes for Mzee Moi. Says she first met Moi when he was a vice president in 1972 in July. At the time, Dr Kosgei was a second-year university student.

Says how Mzee Moi remembered the T-shirt she wore on that day. It was branded with East African Breweries Ltd colours and printed “Have a nice day!”

12:10 noon: Says he was a serious advocate of UNEP and its programs. Says they worked together in environmental conservation efforts.

Says: “He made it known to us that if agriculture fails then the government budget will not be balanced.”

She says of Mzee Moi: “Through diplomatic maneuvers, he stopped American ambassador from talking about our elections, you didn’t even notice!”

Says Mzee Moi travelled alone to convince former Congo leader Mobutu Sese Seko to share power when other world leaders shied off.

Says while serving as foreign affairs minister, she talked to Mzee Moi regularly because he was very supportive.

Says Mzee Moi could not shout at a woman especially for one young enough to be his daughter. His cultural background trained him so.

12:22 noon:  Narrates how she once warned Mzee Moi that his party KANU was not doing well in 2002. Says she had prepared two speeches for their 2002 KANU candidate Uhuru Kenyatta but was alone.

Says Mzee Moi was strict on time and would dismiss ministers who were not keeping time.

12:28 noon: Dr Caroline Karugu pays tributes on behalf of her family. Says she met former president as a little girl. Says Mzee Moi took the duty to educate her and paid her fees all the years.

Says: “I stand before you as proof that this noble effort was not in vain.”

12:37 noon: Phillip Leakey, Richard Leakey’s brother pays tributes to Mzee Moi. Says he first met Mzee Moi in 1973 after he became a KANU member for Sh2. Says: “He became my role model. He became my father.”

Says as a former Langata MP, he once challenged Mzee Moi to fundraise for Makina Mosque in Kibera, Nairobi, which he heeded. Says he gave the mosque a title deed and ordered for the construction of a road for it.

12:45 noon: Nick Salat pays tribute to Mzee Moi.

Tells mourners to do the KANU famous “Tingiza” political chant. Says: “Tingiza tena, tingiza, tingiza kila mtu…”

12:50 noon: Francis Ole Kaparo takes it to the podium to give tributes. Says Mzee Moi brought the marginalised pastoralists into government and embraced them.

12:52 noon: Says Mzee Moi made him the speaker after he lost a parliamentary seat 1992 General Election.

12:56 noon: COTU boss Francis Atwoli gives his tribute. Says he’s speaking as a labour leader who enjoyed the immense support of former president Daniel arap Moi.

12:59 noon: Says Mzee Moi recognised workers and never missed celebrations of Labour day. Says he instilled discipline in the workforce of Kenya.

Tells President Uhuru… “Now we welcome you back to KANU. You asked for it in 2013 and now me and Gideon, we welcome you back.” Tells Senator Gideon to strengthen KANU party.

1:03 pm: William Kamket invited to pay his tribute. Says he grew up knowing the Mzee Moi was the greatest thing to ever happen in this country.

Says he never served under him but was following his speeches as a student. Says he remembers how Mzee Moi told him on two occasions to urge Senator Gideon to align himself with President Uhuru politically. 

Finishes by saying: “A giant tree which used to give many people comfort has fallen. But I am happy that a seedling has come up and has matured and that seedling is none other than Senator Gideon Moi.”

1:11 pm: Governor Lee Kinyanjui gives tributes to Mzee Moi on behalf of the people of Nakuru. Says Mzee had an exemplary connection with the ordinary people.

1:15 pm: Governor Wycliffe Oparanya gives tributes on behalf of the Council of Governors. He is introducing them.

1:17 pm: Governor Oparanya invites Baringo County boss Stanley Kiptis who gives his tribute. Says praises Mzee Moi agriculturalist and educationist.

Oparanya says he knew Mzee Moi through Nick Salat’s father Isaac Salat, with whom he worked 25 years ago. Says Mzee Moi impacted on lives of many other people.

1:27 pm: Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula invited to pay his tribute. Narrates how Mzee Moi called him in 1992 to inform him that he (Mzee) had nominated him to Parliament.

Says Mzee value advise and sought advice. “Those of us whom he brought into leadership, we owe this man a great duty.”

He says: “Mzee gracefully handed over the instruments of power to Mzee Kibaki. He never answered the provocations of new young enthusiastic leaders. He never answered back.”

1:32 pm: ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi heads to give tributes to Mzee Moi. Says: “I stand with a unique credential. I was his last vice president.”

Says Mzee Moi stood strong to give Kenya stability. Remembers how Mzee Moi appointed him as a Finance minister at the age of 33. Remembers how they encountered export compensation problems and subsequently the Goldenberg scandal. Says Mzee Moi’s support led to market liberalisation.

He remembers how the late Ole Ntimama came to a cabinet meeting late and corrected him with jokes.

1:41 pm: Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka giving his tributes. He commends the family for selflessness and allowing Mzee Moi to serve the country. He lauds efforts of Mzee Moi in regional integration like the East African Community.

Says of Mzee Moi: “Mzee could no sell the birthright of Kenya to any leader, anywhere in the world.”

1:54 pm: ODM leader Raila Odinga invited to give his tribute. Says the country is saying goodbye to a great leader.

Says Mzee Moi lived a life of personality and charity. He says he first met Mzee Moi as a young boy in the 1950s when he (Mzee Moi) had gone to visit his father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.

2.00 pm: Narrates how Jaramogi came up with the phrase “a giraffe with long neck” to describe Mzee Moi after they were picked to the Legco.

Says Moi came from poverty like Mzee Kenyatta did. Says every leader is entitled to vie for any position as enshrined in the law.

He says Mzee Moi sent Clement Chesire and he came with Job Omino and they shook hands and made up.

2:03 pm: He recites Luo dirge…”Jowi..jowi…jowi”

2:05 pm: Nick Salat announces that there will be seven days of mourning headed by the family. KANU to receive guests who will be remembering Moi for 40 days at Kabarak Home.

2:07 pm: Deputy President William Ruto gives his tributes to Mzee Moi.

Says he learnt many things from Mzee Moi. He says through Mzee Moi’s inputs in education, Kenya’s various sectors have thrived.

2:14 pm: He says: “Moi built the most disciplined military force…built a formidable political machine in KANU that brought together this country and made the country avoid pitfalls.” 

Further says: “We are graduates of Moi school of leadership and we are proud of that.”

Says that as leaders from Rift Valley they can give an assurance that Rift Valley will continue thriving in politics of inclusion

2:18 pm: DP Ruto invites President Uhuru to give his tributes.

President Uhuru says Mzee Moi was like a father to him. Says Mzee Moi nurtured him and stood with him.

Says Mzee Moi advised him and learnt from him as the ‘professor of politics.’

2:22 pm: Jokes and narrates how Mzee Moi once called him at dawn. He told his wife to pick the call to tell Mzee Moi that he was not around.

He says he then picked it after ten minutes and said that he was in the bathroom. When he picked it a third time, he was given an ultimatum to go to Nakuru immediately.

He says Mzee Moi, later on, forgave him.

2:26 pm: President Uhuru announces that the government will fund the construction of Kabarak Referral Hospital once started by Mzee Moi. Says the government to also fund the installation of solar energy at the university.

2:27 pm: Baringo Senator Gideon Moi: Thanks Kenyans and leaders on behalf of the Moi family for their support.

“We are deeply touched by the outpouring of love and respect you have shown Mzee Moi.”

2:30 pm: Narrates that Mzee Moi passed on at around 5 am in the morning and Christina Pratt, President Uhuru’s sister consoled them.

2:35 pm: Also, narrates how Mzee Moi related with his friend and neighbour Peter Barkley.

He thanks President Uhuru for the efforts of Interior CS Dr Fred Matiang’i and PS Dr Karanja Kibicho. He thanks the military officers and other members of the security forces.

He thanks the clergy and the media that he says aired the death of his father in all manner of languages and forms.

He says the family thanks the medical team including doctors, nurses, and caregivers. Mentions doctors Silverstein, Waweru, Chacha and much more.

Says Mzee Moi was taken to hospital in October 2019, he was discharged and then taken back after which he died in February 2020.

2:40 pm: Says he stayed at Nairobi Hospital for four months to the extent that he learnt medical terms and how prescriptions are done.

Says his stay made him friends and he learnt what many people went through.

2:49 pm: He thanks institutions such as Sacho, Moi Educational Centre, Kabarak and much more for their roles in supporting the family. He also thanks former CBK governor Eric Kotut for visiting Mzee Moi and helping him start a flower farm.

2:52 pm: He thanks missionary who introduced Mzee Moi to Christianity hence good values.

2:55 pm: He finishes his speech in Kalenjin. He says: “Thank you. God bless each one of you and your family.”

2:58 pm: Kalenjin elders giving out Mzee Moi’s Rungu to Raymond Moi, in respect of Kalenjin elders.

2:58 pm: Kalenjin elders giving out Rungu to Raymond Moi, in respect of Kalenjin elders.

3:00 pm: Says he is the elder in the family but politically Gideon will be more superior politically.

He gives Gideon Rungu as a sign of his blessing to carry forward and strengthen KANU.

3:03 pm: Rtd Bishop Silas Yego gives the final prayers as mourners prepare to disperse.

3:03 pm: Rtd Bishop Silas Yego gives the final prayers as mourners prepare to disperse.

3.07 pm: President Uhuru leaves for the salute by service commanders led by the Chief of General Staff Gen Samson Mwathethe.

3.08 pm: National Anthem and EAC Anthems are sung.

3:09 pm: The body leaves Kabarak Grounds with 400 family members for the internment at Kabarak Home. Casket loaded onto a gun carriage.

3:14 pm: Choirs singing as the casket heads to the gravesite.