Queen Elizabeth II has mourned former President the late Mwai Kibaki eulogizing him as “a great statesman”.
In her special condolence message to President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Queen noted that she learnt of the death of President Kibaki with a lot of sorrow.
“He had a lifelong record of service to the Kenyan people. It will be of deep sadness to your country to have lost a great statesman, but Kenya can take pride in the legacy of his leadership. I send you and the people of Kenya my condolences at this loss,” she stated said.
Kibaki, who died on April 22, 2022, aged 90, served as the country’s third president from December 2002 to April 2013, taking over from Daniel arap Moi.
President Uhuru Kenyatta who announced the death of his mentor and predecessor was on Friday expected to lead Kenyans in his funeral service at the Nyayo Stadium.
Kibaki will be buried on Saturday at his rural home in Othaya in Nyeri County.
South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, Salva Kiir of South Sudan and Ethiopia’s Sahle-Work Zewde are among Heads of State who will be attending the funeral service.
Major roads in the city have been closed to facilitate movement to the venue.
Kenyans queued to pay their last respects to the late president for the past three days, viewing his body at parliament where it lay in state from Monday to Wednesday.
The government declared Friday as a public holiday to allow Kenyans mourn the fallen President and attend the service.