Wanjiru finally buried, mother skips funeral

By Karanja Njoroge and James Munyeki

Fallen Olympic marathon champion Samuel Kamau Wanjiru was finally buried at his farm in Nyahururu amid tight security.

The athlet’s mother Hannah Wanjiru who on Friday lost a case to block the burial was absent at the burial, which hundreds of mourners attended.

Security was tight at Nyahururu Stadium where a requiem Mass was held and at his farm, eight kilometres from Nyahururu town where he was buried.

Mourners entering the stadium were frisked as a contingent of riot police, administration and plain clothed police officers kept vigil inside the stadium.

The whereabouts of the athlete’s mother who was opposed to the burial remained unknown, but one of her lawyers Gordon Ogolla said she could not attend the burial since she was not involved in the funeral plan.

"Her demands were not met by the other side," Ogolla told The Standard On Sunday after the burial.

Other notable absentees were Judy Wambui and Mary Wacera who claim to be wives of the departed marathon star.

The man from Baringo – Gideon Chebon – who claims to be Wanjiru’s biological father also did not come to pay his last respects.

High emotions

Despite the athlete’s mother snubbing the ceremony, Kamau’s younger brother Simon Njoroge and grandfather Samuel Kamau attended, with Njoroge sitting next to the widow, Triza Njeri.

Emotions ran high at the stadium as the body of the athlete whose death remains shrouded in mystery arrived in the stadium with the mourners surging forward to view the hearse.

Dignitaries and prominent sports personalities locally and internationally were among those who gave the marathon champion a final send-off.

Speakers at the event avoided the controversy around his death, with most of them opting to dwell on his athletic prowess that saw him conquer the world.

There were calls for the Government to establish support systems for young athletes for them to overcome challenges that may destroy their careers.

Wanjiru’s relatives, friends, and colleagues had started streaming into the stadium for the requiem Mass as early as 8am, but the body arrived five hours later after plans to airlift it from Nairobi were shelved.

21-gun salute

There was anxiety in the morning in Nyahururu town following reports that some youths were planning to disrupt the funeral, but the ceremony went on without any incident.

Police mounted roadblocks along the Nyeri-Nyahururu road and Nyahururu-Kinamba road in anticipation the youths were to be ferried from neighbouring areas to disrupt the burial.

The police force played a major role during the burial. Wanjiru was a corporal in the Criminal Investigations Department.

Relatives and friends of the athlete broke into tears as officer mounted a 21-gun salute in honour of their colleague.

Former Mungiki Chairman Maina Njenga, Athletics Kenya Secretary General David Okeyo, the Chairman of National Olympic Committee of Kenya Chairman, Kipchoge Keino, and Wanjiru’s coach Federico Rosa were present.

Athletes Benjamin Limo, Daniel Komen, Charles Kamathi and Catherine Ndereba also attended.

Kipchoge challenged MPs to address the welfare of upcoming athletes by coming up with supportive structures to assist budding sports stars.

"When our children become celebrities, the Government must do everything possible to give them support systems like it happens in other countries," he said.

He described Wanjiru as a great man and gifted roadrunner who had done the country proud in a short time.

Kipchoge said youthful track stars should be nurtured and cautioned that money is not everything.