Leaders give heroic sendoff to Prof Saitoti

By ALEX NDEGWA

Down a red carpet in a casket borne by his Cabinet colleagues, serenaded by three choirs and surrounded by family and friends, Prof George Kinuthia Saitoti was Saturday laid to rest in his Enkasiti home in Kajiado North constituency.

Kenyans bid an emotional farewell to the former Internal Security minister as the curtails fell on the life of one of the senior leaders with a political career spanning three decades. Prof Saitoti, who served the longest as Vice-President under President Daniel Moi, was accorded a sendoff befitting a Statesman.

Hundreds of people lined up along the route from the Lee Funeral Home, where the funeral cortege departed in the morning, and the crowds swelled at Kitengela, the last town to his Kitengela home.

At 10.45am, the 40km procession brought the coffin-draped in the colours of the national flag to the venue for the funeral service, an expansive ground adjacent to his final resting place at his residence.

There President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, former Presidents Moi and Ghanian Gerry Rawlings, ministers and MPs were among the thousands of mourners who joined the family in subdued congregation. Tanzania President jakaya Kikwete sent a message of condelesce through his minister. Bangladesh and South Sudan also sent delegations to the funeral of the former Kajiado North MP.

Interfaith prayers were held but the Catholic Church’s Cardinal John Njue led the funeral service, which lasted nearly six hours.

Saitoti’s widow Margaret had a special tribute to her husband, which was read by a relative, who was at one point overcome with emotion, her voice trailing off.

His son Zach said he had lost “my rock, my Goliath and my dad” and vowed to live up to his advice.

In a show of solidarity, Kalonzo, Deputy Prime Ministers Uhuru Kenyatta and Musalia Mudavadi led fellow ministers in acting as pallbearers. Speaker Kenneth Marende led 90 MPs to the burial, who included 20 ministers and assistant ministers, and Clerk of National Assembly Patrick Gichohi.

Prof Saitoti perished in a chopper crash in Ngong Forest last Sunday alongside his assistant minister Orwa Ojodeh, who will be buried today, two Kenya Police bodyguards and two pilots from the force.

On Saturday, it was suggested that a monument be erected at the site of the horrific crash in honour of the fallen minister, who was eulogised as a patriot, dedicated public servant and peace loving Kenyan.

Solemn hymns

It was a cloudy and chilly morning but as the funeral service wore on it turned sunny with overcast clouds. Choirs belted out solemn hymns while as a tribute to Prof Saitoti, the clergy through Father John Kariuki, dedicated a song by gospel musician Faustin Munishi, which was Saitoti’s favourite.

Security was tight, with heavy presence of armed GSU personnel on the grounds. Security officers screened people as they streamed into the grounds towards the huge marquee spotting the colours of the national flag.

Leaders had kind words for the professor of mathematics but the dominant theme was a plea for the country to hold peaceful elections as a tribute to Prof Saitoti, who had passionately campaigned for security and stability. Kibaki challenged the leaders to emulate the former minister to ensure a peaceful and united Kenya, if their glowing tributes came from the heart.

“Why don’t we say, for once, in one voice, that we are going to follow all he preached and stood for,” the President challenged. “That way we will find genuine solutions to the problems facing Kenya.”

Succession politics featured at the event, with Transport minister Amos Kimunya announcing that the PNU chairman had been expected to officially launch his presidential candidature this week. Saitoti first showed interest on December 2 last year. Kalonzo recalled the election pact he signed with Saitoti and Uhuru in 2010, committing to work together to field a joint presidential candidate, saying he felt in debt.

“If we live the letter and spirit of that protocol and embrace Saitoti’s thinking, I am sure the country will emerge stronger,” Kalonzo said.

Earlier Uhuru said Saitoti was a selfless person who put the country first. He extolled politicians to emulate him to work for public good not individual interests.

“I am ready to put my own ambitions aside so that we can get Kenya where Saitoti desired,” Uhuru said. When he rose to speak after the VP, Raila, too, said he and Saitoti entered a memorandum of understating four years ago.

“Saitoti and I had an MoU four years ago. There are two or three people who know about it who are with us here but I don’t want to mention their names,” Raila said.

Former President Moi, who recently said he was helping Saitoti in his presidential bid, said his former VP did not engage in tribal politics and his leadership was needed to calm down ethnic tensions.

Tribal cocoons

“If he had lived longer I am still convinced that he would have made a difference especially this time when the country is drifting deeper into tribal cocoons,” Mr Moi said.

He added: “I say with a heavy heart that Prof Saitoti was a cornerstone that the builders ignored.”

Peals of laughter punctuated the sombre mood at the event as several leaders regaled mourners with their anecdotes about their colleague. In their tales Kenyans saw a side of Saitoti few would recognise, a man interested in opera, who hated gossip and had an strong sense of humour. Minister for Agriculture Sally Kosgei and former House Speaker Francis Kaparo, for instance, recalled an European tour with the then VP in the 1990s to underscore his humble nature. Kosgei, then in charge of protocol, told the audience of an incident in which their delegation ended up on a flight to Frankfurt instead of Cologne, Germany on the VP’s birthday. The VP did not reprimand her.

“Don’t worry Sally. I have discovered there is a flight taking off to our destination but everyone must run,” she recalled Saitoti saying. “When we landed, he took off,” Sally said, to muchl laughter, echoing an earlier remark by Kaparo that their boss ran even faster than Sally, who, as a Nandi, had a genetic advantage.

Dr Kosgei gave her own version why she was outrun, “because Kaparo couldn’t run!”

Mr William Ntimama asked the President to allow his Heritage Ministry roll out the plans to honour the former VP by erecting a monument. Rawlings, meanwhile, suggested Kenyans avoid the winner-take-all approach in elections and harness the “spiritual elegance” filling the air to forge a united country.