Kibaki’s body to be moved to Othaya by road under military escort

Kenyans who miss out on the military grandeur involved in escorting former President Mwai Kibaki’s body from Lee Funeral Home and Thursday’s procession from State House to Nyayo Stadium for his requiem will have an opportunity to view his final journey to Othaya along the Nairobi-Nyeri highway.

The National Funeral Steering Committee on Wednesday said the body of the former president will be transported to Othaya Approved School via road, a move some Kenyans had hoped for.

Security officials from the National Police Service and other agencies will man the route to be followed to ensure safety.

“They have all rehearsed and have been placed at the points where they are going to be. We do not anticipate that anything will go wrong,” Interior CS Fred Matiang’i said while giving the committee’s update on preparations for Thursday's Mass and Saturday’s burial.

He added that all plans for the Mass and state funeral are complete.

“We request all members of the public to be seated by 8am because we want to start early so that those who have to travel out of town are able to go back to their homes early enough. The funeral service is expected to end at 1pm,” said CS Matiang’i. 

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The CS, who was accompanied by Chief of Defence Forces General Robert Kibochi, senior military and state officials, reiterated that the funeral programme will be strict and guided by military protocols.

“You know the military doesn't leave anything to chance, everything is prepared and planned and we have a script by which we are going to connect ourselves. So I want to ask those who will join us on Friday and Saturday to understand that what we are planning is a state funeral, which follows a particular protocol. The only other protocol that is allowed is that of the church that will conduct the Mass.”

The former president’s family has made particular requests on how they would want the ceremony conducted. “We would like all of us to respect the family and all the requests they have made,” said the CS without disclosing what the requests were.

The body has been lying in state at Parliament for three days since Monday, allowing Kenyans to view it and pay their last respects.

Among notable faces that showed up was former General Service Unit Corporal David Wambugu, who served as Mr Kibaki’s bodyguard from1996 to 2002, just before he won the presidency.

Mr Wambugu was in the same car with Mr Kibaki when they got involved in an accident near the Machakos turn-off in 2002. He said they were lucky to have survived.

Viewing the body of his former boss was emotional for him, as it was for 77-year-old Onesmus Muraya Gathege, who said his fondest memory of the former president was his offer to help him pay dowry.

“Mzee had employed me as a manager in one of his hotels on Tom Mboya Street in the 1970s and so, one day I requested him to help me pay a Sh3,000 dowry for my wife and he did. I am sad that he is gone; I wish he lived longer to benefit more people with his sound advice,” said Mr Gathege. 

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As older men and women rekindled their memories of the former leader as they walked in and out of the Speaker’s walk, the youth were fascinated by a picture gallery at the exit from Parliament showing the life and times of Mr Kibaki with his family, as chancellor of Masinde Muliro University, as opposition leader and as president.

“I do not remember much about him but from what I have heard my father say, he must have been a good president,” 17-year-old Mitchell Wangui said after taking a selfie beside one of Kibaki’s portraits.

Former Limuru Country Club chairman George Maara, who is running for Kiambu senator on a Jubilee ticket, recalled that Mr Kibaki would spare time to sneak into his golf club before the 2002 accident.