President Uhuru Kenyatta leads nation in paying tribute to former First lady Lucy Kibaki

Former President Mwai Kibaki and his family at Lee Funeral Home to collect the late Lucy Kibaki for Requiem mass at Consolata Shrine Westlands Nairobi PHOTO MOSES OMUSULA

Leaders and family eulogised former First Lady Lucy Kibaki as a woman who fiercely defended her family.

They said she spoke her mind freely and was never hostage to societal expectations as she did not entertain hypocrisy and was true to herself.

The glowing tributes were shared by hundreds of mourners led by President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday during a requiem mass at Consolata Shrine Catholic Church in Nairobi.

“An outspoken and keen voice against social injustice, the late Lucy Kibaki expressed her mind with an unmistakable clarity and sense of purpose,” said Judy Kibaki, first born of the family, in a moving tribute to her late mother.

Judy said her mother’s abiding love will be missed by her father, retired President Kibaki, and his four children.

“Death has snatched a dedicated matriarch, a fighter for the less privileged and a candid defender of human dignity,” she said.

She said Lucy set standards and occasionally defended her values on matters of order and decorum during her 10 years at State House.

President Kenyatta celebrated Lucy’s strong conviction to protect her family and her support for the youth and victims of HIV and AIDs.

Uhuru reminded the congregation of the numerous occasions that Lucy went out of her way to pay school fees for students from poor families.

Strong woman

The Head of State said the former First Lady was the pillar during Kibaki’s 10-year tenure as the country’s president, adding that “behind every man there is a strong woman”.

“There was no half-way, you were either on her right side side or her wrong side. It was not a pleasant thing to be on her wrong side,” Uhuru said.

The Head of State consoled retired President Kibaki saying “losing a wife is a painful thing”, and pledged that his Government would continue supporting the family to lessen the pain. “Her fierce defence of family was clear,” he said.

Kibaki did not speak during the nearly three-hour funeral mass attended by Opposition leaders Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula, among a host of senior State officials.

Lucy’s body was driven from Lee Funeral Home to the church at about 9.40am, with Kibaki and Judy following in a different car. Kibaki had to wait in the car for Uhuru, who arrived at about 9.55am.

The State House Choir belted out select hymns to the mourners with “It is well with my soul” playing in the background during the wait.

Family members led by Jimmy Kibaki lined up next to the coffin, where the Head of State shook their hands and whispered a message of condolence. Just like when Lucy’s body landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), from Bupa Cromwell Hospital in South West London, Mr Kibaki looked emotionally drained.

His aides helped him walk up the stairs at the church’s entrance.

Draped in the Kenyan flag, six military officers carried the casket shoulder-high from the hearse, placed it on raised ground for brief prayers at the entrance of the church before taking it right to the centre of the church.

Kibaki sat between his children, Judy and Jimmy, adjacent to a row where Uhuru and his wife Margaret sat.

There was an emotional scene during the service when Othaya MP Mary Wambui broke down in tears. It was not the first time that Ms Wambui was unable to hold her emotions over Lucy’s demise. She shed tears at the National Assembly during a press conference the day Mrs Kibaki died.

Yesterday’s mass marked the end of the three days of national mourning that begun on Monday.

Deputy President William Ruto shared his two personal encounters with Mrs Kibaki, one in Eldoret in 2007 just before the elections, and another in 2010.

“On both occasions, she stood out to me like a mother. The 2010 encounter was more memorable. Her security told me she was looking for me and asked me to meet her,” said Mr Ruto.

He added: “I had to soul-search on whether I had done something wrong.” The DP eulogised her as a different kind of woman who spoke her mind freely.

Extraordinary convictions

“She was never hostage to what society wanted her to be. She was a woman of extraordinary convictions,” he said. Uhuru and Ruto, who were both accompanied by their wives, were the only political leaders who spoke at the mass conducted by John Cardinal Njue. Cardinal Njue asked mourners to reflect on some of Lucy’s values and to unite the country “since all of us are in transition”.

Lucy’s grandchildren Joy Marie, Mwai Jeremy, Mwai Giorgio, Sean Veana and Mwai Ryan, among others, said memories of their grandmother would live on.

“As our Cucu (grandmother), she taught us valuable life lessons by sharing stories of her children growing up and her most favourite stories were about her youngest son, Tony,” said Sean Veana.

Ryan said: “Her role in our lives will remain exemplary. She had a vibrant personality and a soul that would ignite a fire within anyone. Mediocrity was simply not an option.”

Lucy, who died on April 26 in London, will be buried at Kibaki’s Othaya home in Nyeri on Saturday.

Her body will be moved from Lee Funeral Home to their Muthaiga home at 6am on that day, before leaving for Nyeri where it is expected to arrive at 11am for the burial service.