Mwai Kibaki to be transported to Othaya by road

Mwai Kibaki’s body being transported to Parliament Buildings on April 27, 2022 for public viewing. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

President Mwai Kibaki’s body will be transported to Othaya by road on Saturday, April 30 for the final burial mass, Kennedy Kihara Principal Secretary in the Office of the President has said.

While speaking at the Othaya Approved School, where the burial mass for the fallen president will take place, Kihara assured that the funeral committee will give Mwai Kibaki a befitting sendoff.

“Unless plans change, the committee that I sit in has made arrangements to drive the body from Nairobi to here. Adequate security arrangements have been made,” he said on Wednesday, April 27.

“Security inside this venue has been assured by the police, and their teams are busy. We will secure the route from here all the way to Nairobi,” said Kihara.

The committee has been split into two. Kihara is chairing the Nyeri team, while Interior PS Karanja Kibicho is chairing the Nairobi team.

According to Kihara, they are making plans for 15,000 people.

“We want to categorise them all as mourners, so there will be no categorisation of VVIP, VIP. President Kibaki was a very humble man, he would not be too concerned about those details.

“However for our own planning, we have zoned the area, we have where the family will sit and there is a plan we have already approved; where the clergy will sit, where the choir will sit, where guests from other countries will sit, our own VIPs and the rest of us mourners will also have space,” he said.

Kibaki’s state funeral will take place on Friday, April 29 at the Nyayo National Stadium. Interior CS Fred Matiang’i gazetted Friday as a public holiday in honour of Kenya’s third President.

“The diplomatic service, visiting heads of state and others will pay homage at Nyayo stadium and that will be the official state funeral service. Here in Othaya, we’re targeting more of the local people, however we have provision for some VIPs, but we don’t expect heads of state here.

“This is an ordinary rural home. The service will be here at the school. Whatever will happen at home is interment. Due to logistical issues, transportation of mourners and space available, we will not be able to accommodate everybody who will be here. However, we will accommodate as many as we can,” said Kihara.

The final mass will take place at Othaya Approved School, the same place where former First Lady Mama Lucy Kibaki’s funeral mass was held.