– President Uhuru Kenyatta skipped 2016 Labour Day celebrations to be with his predecessor Mwai Kibaki who lost his wife
– Kibaki and his wife’s remains arrived in the country in the morning of Sunday, May 1 from London where she died
– Lucy Kibaki will be given a state burial on Saturday, May 7, in Othaya, Nyeri county
President Uhuru Kenyatta missed the 2016 Labour Day celebrations at Uhuru Park in Nairobi in order to be with his predecessor Mwai Kibaki.
Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli, on Sunday, May 1, told the attendant that Uhuru had asked to be excused.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta could have been here, but you know the former first lady’s body has just arrived… He could not leave Kibaki alone,” said Atwoli.
The president was represented at the even by Ministry of Labour and East African Community Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie.
In a Labour Day speech that was read by Kandie, Uhuru did not touch on the minimum despite COTU’s push to have it increased. All the other cabinet secretaries were present as well.
Uhuru, First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto were among government officials who went to receive Lucy Kibaki’s body earlier in the day.
The plane carrying Lucy Kibaki’s body from London, United Kingdom, arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 5am. Kibaki was on board as well.
There was a brief mass at JKIA, led by Father Dominic Wamugunda, before the body was taken to Lee Funeral Home for preservation.
Uhuru later announced a three-day national mourning period in honour of Lucy Kibaki. Communication from State House also informed Kenyans that Lucy Kibaki will be given a state burial on Saturday, May 7 in Nyeri county.
A requiem mass will be held on Wednesday, May 4. Condolence books are placed at Nairobi’s Holy Family Basilica, Consolata Shrine and in all the county headquarters across the country.
Lucy Kibaki took her last breath at around 4am on Tuesday, April 26 surrounded by some of her family members at Bupa Cromwell Hospital.
Former president Kibaki arrived in London on Monday, April 25 (a day before passed away) while their daughter Judy Wanjiku and son Anthony Githinji travelled with her days earlier.
They let Uhuru to break the news to the nation as the government was directly involved, family spokesman Ngari Gituku said.
The cause of her death is yet to be made public but Gituku had dismissed reports that Lucy was suffering from heart complications and breathing problems. He said her ailment was related to atrophy, a condition that mostly occurs in old age. It is a state involving wasting away or decrease in size of an organ or tissue in the body.
She had been unwell for about a month. She was taken abroad for further treatment after spending time in local hospitals.
The former first lady was admitted at Nairobi Hospital on the night of Thursday, March 10, 2016 after falling ill at her home in Muthaiga. Reports indicated that she was first taken to Gertrude Children’s Hospital before being transferred.
Speculations about Lucy’s health have long featured in rumour mills, since she disappeared from the public eye years ago.
The last time she was seen in public was in August 2010 during the promulgation of the new constitution. After that, she went quite, and even missed her own brother’s burial ceremony, raising concerns from the public.
Kenyans at one time took to social media demanding to know where their first lady was, but no official communication from State House on the issue came.
Kibaki went on to attend several farewell parties as he retired without her by his side. Lucy was also not present when her husband handed over to President Uhuru Kenyatta in April 2013.
Kibaki and Lucy are said to have met in 1960 and got married after courting for two years.
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