Josphat Kinyua @josphatkinyua
Even in death, former First Lady Lucy Kibaki continued her defiance as she was laid to rest in her Kanyange home in Othaya but not in a gold-coated grave that many would expect but a simple, hand-dug one that could pass for any common villager.
According to family sources, the decision was in line with both the former First Lady who did not want her position to set her apart from the rest of the clan and the family tradition that buried their departed kin in similar simple fashion.
“Former First Lady was a humble person who did not want opulence or earthly things to influence her or her family, so it was her wish and that of her family to express her simplicity in her final rite,’’ said Nyeri Senator Mutahi Kagwe, who co-chaired the burial committee with Interior Permanent Secretary, Karanja Kibicho. According to sources, senior security officers overseeing her burial were the first victims of the ‘culture shock’ after retired President Kibaki identified the grave site on Wednesday.
“To their astonishment, he told the officials, who had with them a regiment of National Youth Service to assist in the job, to cart away all the equipment such as graders they had come to dig the grave with and said youths from the village and family would do the job,” confided a source.
The source added that the former First Lady and her husband are staunch supporters of their clan and attend meetings on top of contributing the monthly or yearly tokens. At the service presided over by Archbishop Peter Kairo, her children as well as leaders present described her as a forthright person who could not shy away from pointing out any evil in the society.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, who led the nation in mourning, described her as a strong person who was behind the success of her husband, the former president. “The late Lucy was a strong person who did not shy away from pointing out ill, even if it meant contradicting the President himself. She was a good fighter who protected her family and the nation,” said Uhuru.
Former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete described the former First Lady as the rock of Kibaki’s administration saying she was respected in the country and beyond due to her charitable work. Deputy President William Ruto said Lucy was his mentor adding that she was the force behind his unity with President Uhuru Kenyatta, eventually forming the Jubilee administration.
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