Moi service: How Kenyans said goodbye

What you need to know:

  • From as early as 5am, people had started lining up to enter the stadium.
  • Kenyans had been asked to be seated by 8 am.

Kenyans from all walks of life started streaming into the Nyayo National Stadium as early as 5 am for the requiem service of former president Daniel Toroitich arap Moi.

Kenyans at Nyayo Stadium on February 11, 2020. PHOTO | SILA KIPLAGAT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

The former president died at the Nairobi Hospital on Tuesday last week.

School buses that ferried mourners to the venue were parked in various places as people were asked to alight and line up from the access road that branches from Bunyala Road into the stadium.

At round 7.20 am, the military gun carriage arrived at the venue.

Shortly after, some of Moi's relatives and VIP guests started arriving.

Kenyans had been asked to be seated by 8am.

GOVERNORS ARRIVE

Governors, including Nairobi's Mike Sonko and Meru's Kiraitu Murungi, arrived at the venue at around 8.15 am. They arrived in a bus and were let into the stadium through a VIP entrance.

JOURNEY STARTS

His body left Lee Funeral Home at 8.27 am under heavy military security. The convoy headed to State House thereafter.

The convoy then left State House around 9.20 am for Nyayo Stadium where Kenyans awaited the arrival of the body ahead of the service.

From State House, where President Uhuru Kenyatta received the body, it was then escorted to Nyayo Stadium.

Once there, pallbearers then carried the casket from the military truck to the dais, near where his family was seated.

Kenyans at Nyayo Stadium on February 11, 2020. PHOTO | SILA KIPLAGAT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Kenyans at Nyayo stadium. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

About 11 Heads of State were expected at the event. Some will attend the requiem mass in Nairobi while others may opt to attend the funeral service at Kabarak tomorrow.

Kenyans at Nyayo stadium. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

VIP entrance reserved for presidents and family of Moi. PHOTO | MARY WAMBUI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Raymond Moi addressed the gathering of Kenyans and dignitaries. He read Moi's eulogy.

He noted that his father was named Toroitich, which in Tugen means "we welcome home the cattle". Moi's father died when he was four years old, leaving his elder brother to play the guardian role, he said in the eulogy.

PUBLIC HOLIDAY

Last week, the government designated Tuesday a public holiday for the memorial service.

Mzee Moi’s body has been lying in state at Parliament Buildings and a staggering 213,000 people were granted access to view the body, according to police sources.

Moi’s will be the second State funeral with full civilian and military ceremonial honours in events that will largely mirror those of Kenya’s founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.

The full military honours include being escorted in a gun carriage, accompanied by military musical honours and a 19 gun-salute.

The difference with his predecessor’s State funeral is that while Mzee Moi will get a 19-gun salute and will not be dressed in military uniform, Mzee Kenyatta, who died while in office in 1978, received a 21-gun salute and was dressed in military regalia.

HEADS OF STATE

Earlier communication by Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho had indicated that 10 heads of state would attend the ceremony, but some sent their representatives.

They included Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom who was represented by His Royal Highness Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, Namibia Deputy President Nickey Iyambo, Nigeria’s Deputy President Yemi Osinbajo, Burundi’s Foreign Affairs Minister Alain Aimé Nyamitwe, and former Tanzanian presidents Jakaya Kikwete and Benjamin Mkapa.

Other leaders present included Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, Djibouti’s Ismail Omar Guelleh, Ethiopia’s Sahle-Work Zewde, South Sudan’s Salva Kiir and Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic’s Brahim Ghali . They arrived at the stadium before their host, Mr Kenyatta.

Uganda’s Yoweri Kaguta Museveni entered the stadium shortly before the event started.