The late former President Mwai Kibaki passed on at age 90 and was laid to rest at his Othaya home in Nyeri after being accorded a state funeral.
Kibaki was the only surviving former head of state and had served as Kenya’s third president from 2002 to April 2013, when the Constitution obliged him to step down at the end of his second and final term.
He succeeded the late Daniel Arap Moi, who served as president from 1978 to 2002, after Jomo Kenyatta, the country’s founding leader, died in office.
Kibaki is survived by four children Judy Wanjiku, Jimmy Kibaki, David Kagi and Tony Githinji. There’s however a man identified as Jacob Ocholla who says he is late Kibaki’s son.
Kibaki’s funeral was a state function that detailed three days of mourning with flags raised at half-mast. It was attended by dignitaries from different countries including current and former heads of state.
Read: Here is the Program for Kibaki’s Burial at Othaya, Nyeri
News now emerging reveal that Kibaki’s state funeral cost taxpayers Sh260 million. This has been confirmed by the supplementary budget tabled by Treasury CS Ukur Yattani.
According to Nation, CS Yattani however failed to document the estimates of how each money was spent.
However, it is important to note that his body was interred nine days after his death while lying at Lee funeral home for days.
His funeral program involved the attendance of dignitaries from different countries hence their expenses in the country including security were taken care of by the state.
A day to his burial, a state funeral was held at Nyayo stadium. Later, the body was transported to Othaya via the newly constructed Nairobi Expressway. This accounts for security until the body reached Othaya.
Read Also: Transformer At Late Mwai Kibaki’s Othaya Home Vandalized Days After Burial
The funeral program also involved the following that might have cost huge sums of money:
- The Interment Ceremony
- Final Rites at the Graveside
- The State Funeral Procession
- Military Honours: 19 Gun Salute
- The Committal Prayer
- Interment
- Musical Tribute
- Floral Tributes
The military played a huge part in the funeral procession including the organization and structure.
Notably, just after Kibaki’s death, the road leading to his Othaya home received an upgrade and was fully carpeted as his body was to be transported via road.
Also, his Othaya home received renovations including setting up a power transformer that was vandalized just days after he was laid to rest.
Read Also: Man Attempts to Disrupt Priest during Kibaki Funeral
The Kenya Defence Forces’ (KDF) gun carriage with the casket draped in the Kenyan flag left Lee Funeral Home for State House escorted by outriders.
The KDF officers constituting the Army, Navy and Airforce were also well captured in the function and adorned in matching ceremonial outfits.
At Nyayo Stadium, approximately 3,000 people were in attendance where there was entertainment and food.
Although putting together the state function might have been costly, Sh260 million budget as quoted by the treasury would only make sense if fully substantiated with estimates of how much each allocation cost.
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