PHOTO: Just, what were Saitoti and Nkaissery planning here?

Moments after the news of the death of Interior Cabinet Secretary broke, a telling photo started doing rounds on social media.

The photo of Retired General (Retired) Joseph Nkaissery and his predecessor George Saitoti, taken by former Nation photojournalist Hezron Njoroge on March 6, 2011, trended on Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp groups for the better part of Saturday morning.

WATCHES

In the image taken at PCEA Church in Rongai, both Saitoti and Nkaissery are looking at their watches, as if they were scheduling or waiting for an important appointment.

The photo left Kenyans online guessing on what the two former ministers, former Kajiado MPs and Maasai elders were planning.

Many drew what they termed as “coincidences” that brought together their sudden deaths.

Both Saitoti and Nkaissery served in the powerful ministry in charge of internal security.

Under Saitoti’s time, the ministry was called Internal Security and Provincial Administration before it was renamed Interior and Coordination of National Government under the Jubilee administration.

BIRTHDAY

What also attracted the curiosity of Kenyans on Twitter is that both leaders died few months to their 67th birthdays.

Saitoti, who was born on August 3, 1945, died on June 10, 2012, on a Sunday morning after the chopper he was traveling in together with his assistant minister, Orwa Ojode, crashed in Ngong Forest.

Nkaissery was born on November 28, 1949 and died on July 7, 2017 at Karen Hospital. 

“So sad. Both died same age, during an election period and both served as CS for internal security as their last careers. Is it a coincidence?” posed a Twitter user.

Whereas Nkaissery died within a month to an election, Saitoti died nine months to March 4, 2013 polls.