Former President Uhuru Kenyatta delivers a heartfelt speech during the state funeral of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga at Nyayo National Stadium on October 17, 2025.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has encouraged cancer patients to remain hopeful, saying all is not lost and that one day the disease will be defeated.
Mr Kenyatta was speaking at the burial ceremony of Mr Frank Marangu Ireri, who died on October 26, 2025, aged 63. His family said the deceased succumbed to cancer. The funeral was held at Karura Community Chapel on Friday, after which he was cremated.
Mr Kenyatta said Mr Ireri's legacy was defined by his disciplined leadership, vision for financial inclusion, and commitment to mentoring young professionals.
The former Head of State eulogised Mr Ireri as “my friend, confidant, and encourager in the journey of life—a man with whom we shared a lot.”
The former president then appeared to hint at his own health struggles.
“I don’t know whether I should be talking about this, but these are realities of life—health or otherwise. The deceased had more experience than us in handling his health challenges,” he said.
Mr Kenyatta said Mr Ireri lived positively with his condition, never degenerating into self-pity, and was instrumental in giving hope to others living with cancer.
“I will miss his counsel. He really held our hands and told us not to worry—that this thing will come to pass; it will go,” Mr Kenyatta said.
He added, “Cancer will one day also go. We trust in God and believe the reason Frank (the deceased) is lying here is because it was his time.”
To those living with the disease, Mr Kenyatta said, “Those of us who have these challenges will continue fighting with it. Until it is God’s time, we shall join him.”
The former Head of State cautioned that life is short and should be lived with purpose.
“Life is short. Let us make the best of it. At the end of the day, it is not about all the things that some of you are pursuing,” he said.
He criticised the “grand craze for accumulating wealth,” saying it was not all that important.
“It is about the manner in which you live life, the impact you have, and the legacy you leave behind—the lives you have touched—that is what is important,” he said.
Speaking about national politics, Mr Kenyatta said the government needs to rediscover a sense of integrity, commitment, and conscientiousness, and to work with a genuine drive to succeed.
He said the country needs people who do not transform public resources into cash cows but, instead, workers who can turn around the economy and generate more wealth for the exchequer.
He recalled that Mr Ireri once served on the Kenya Pipeline Company board and “instead of making it his cash cow, he turned it around into a wealth-creation entity that remitted billions of shillings to the exchequer.”
Former President and Jubilee Party leader Uhuru Kenyatta gives a speech during the party's Special National Delegates Conference at Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi on September 26, 2025.
The government is currently battling legal hurdles in its bid to sell off the public company. It has since approved its partial privatisation through a listing on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), saying the move aims to inject private capital and professional expertise into the company, unlocking its full commercial potential and positioning it as a regional logistics and energy powerhouse.
However, the High Court has issued conservatory orders restraining the government from proceeding with the sale, following a case filed by the Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK).
Mr Kenyatta criticised the current government, saying, “We have people walking around talking about things like affordable housing without knowing the kind of legwork people like the deceased here did for it.”
He added that “it is unfortunate that the true heroes are not the ones being recognised in much of what we see happening today.”
“I doubt whether some of those we see talking even understand what they are talking about, but I can only say acha waendelee (let them continue); it is their time,” he said.
Mr Ireri was a renowned Kenyan banker and financial expert, best known for transforming Housing Finance, one of Kenya’s oldest mortgage lenders, into a modern financial institution now known as HF Group.
Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta. A faction of the Jubilee Party that toppled Kenyatta’s allies has laid the groundwork for exit from the opposition coalition with an ultimatum to their party leader that effectively signals a looming coup.
During his tenure from 2006 to 2018, Ireri diversified the company’s lending, expanded into retail banking, issued corporate bonds, and rebranded it as HF Group—a holding structure designed to be a full-service financial services company.
Mr Ireri’s illustrious career spanned nearly four decades, with roles at Deloitte, Citibank, Barclays, and the Kenya Bankers Association. He also served on various boards, including Centum Real Estate, Flame Tree Group, Amref Health Africa, and Habitat for Humanity Kenya, where he was a passionate advocate for affordable housing.
Some of his notable achievements include being awarded the Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS) in 2011 for his service to Kenya’s financial sector. He also received the Leadership and Ingenuity Award from the Citi Distinguished Alumni Network in 2013.
He chaired Habitat for Humanity Kenya, supporting marginalised communities in accessing housing, and served on the board of Amref Health Africa, contributing to improved healthcare for African communities.
He leaves behind his wife, Angie, and two daughters, Lian Waithera and Ella Gathoni.
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