Kenyans fill Nyayo Stadium to say goodbye to Moi – VIDEO
Kenyans from all walks of life started streaming into Nyayo National Stadium for the requiem service of former president Daniel Toroitich arap Moi who died on Tuesday last week.
His body left Lee Funeral Home at 8:27am under heavy military security. The convoy with the casket bearing his remains headed to State House thereafter.
The convoy then left State House for Nyayo Stadium at around 9:20am. where Kenyans awaited the arrival of the body ahead of the service.
From as early as 5am, people had started lining up to enter the stadium.
School buses from various parts of the country, which have been used to ferry mourners to the venue, were parked on various sides of town as people were asked to alight and line up from the access road that branches from Bunyala Road into the stadium.
At round 7:20am, the military gun carriage arrived at the venue.
Shortly after, some of Moi’s relatives and VIP guests started to arrive. Kenyans had been asked to be seated by 8am.
Reports on the ground indicate that mourners who arrived at the last minute were allowed into the stadium without any frisking.
VIEWING OF BODY
The service is expected to start at 10am when President Uhuru Kenyatta, State officials and guests will arrive.
About 11 heads of state are expected in the event. It has not yet been revealed who the 11 are and whether they will all attend the requiem mass, or will opt to attend the funeral service at Kabarak tomorrow.
County Governors, including Nairobi’s Mike Sonko and Meru’s Kiraitu Murungi, arrived at the venue at around 8:15am. They arrived in a bus and were let into the stadium through a VIP entrance.
Last week, the government designated today (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 his 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 that of Kenya’s founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.
The full military honours includes 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, had a 21-gun salute and was dressed in military regalia.
The event’s official programme:
8am – Members of the public are seated
8am-10:15am – Presentations by choirs
8:30am – President Daniel Moi’s cortege leaves parliament for Nyayo National Stadium
10am-10:20am – Arrival and sitting of State officials and guests
10:30am – Arrival of His Excellency the President and the First Lady
10:35am – State reception of the cortege of President Daniel Moi
10:45am-12:00 noon – State memorial service
12pm – Tributes to the former president are set to start and end at 2 p.m.
2:15 pm – Casket of the late President Daniel Moi leaves Nyayo National Stadium for Lee Funeral Home.