Nyachae calls for Kisii unity as wife is laid to rest
Pall-bearers carry the casket containing the body of Esther Nyaboke Nyachae, wife of former Cabinet minister Simeon Nyachae, during her burial at Mr Nyachae’s rural home in Nyosia Village Nyaribari Chache, Kisii County, on September 5, 2016. PHOTO | BENSON MOMANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The late Esther Nyaboke Nyachae died last Tuesday at a Nairobi hospital after a long illness.
- Mr Nyachae said they had a wonderful relationship with his wife.
- Mr Nyachae also used the occasion to drum up his support for the Kisii community's unity agenda.
- There was a near lapse of protocol when Governor Ongwae was almost locked out of the list of speakers at the ceremony.
Former Cabinet minister Simeon Nyachae's wife – Esther Nyaboke – has been laid to rest at her Nyosia home in Kisii County, in a ceremony attended by hundreds of mourners.
Mrs Nyachae died last Tuesday at a Nairobi hospital after a long illness.
Several leaders attended the funeral, including Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, President Uhuru Kenyatta’s sister, Christina Pratt, Governors James Ongwae (Kisii) and John Nyagarama (Nyamira), Senators Chris Obure (Kisii), David Musila (Kitui) and Janet Ong'era (nominated), ministry of Social Services PS Susan Mochache and Central Bank of Kenya chairman Mohammed Nyaoga, as well as Kenya Commercial Bank CEO Joshua Oigara.
Other leaders at the burial were MPs Ben Momanyi (Borabu), Richard Tongi (Nyaribari Chache), Richard Onyonka (Kitutu Chache South) and former Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau.
The leaders eulogised the late Esther as a "wonderful mother who helped shape up a good family".
HAD WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIP
Mr Nyachae said he had a wonderful relationship with his late wife Esther.
“I had three wives…and they have been living together like sisters. Death has now robbed me of two of them. On my own, I can't do much we only leave it all to God."
Mr Nyachae also used the occasion to drum up his support for the community's unity agenda.
"I believe in pulling together as a community. We have come afar as a community and our support for the government should be unequivocal. Anybody with a different political gospel should be sure that I am not with him," he told the mourners.
There was a near lapse of protocol when Governor Ongwae was almost locked out of the list of speakers at the ceremony, a situation that sparked protests from some mourners.
Only leaders backing the community’s unity movement were given an opportunity to address the mourners. Mr Ongwae has repeatedly ignored calls to join the unity bandwagon, claiming he was too busy to be drawn into that agenda.
