Ex-Cooperative Bank chairman Stanley Muchiri dies in Nigeria

Former Cooperative Bank of Kenya chairman Stanley Muchiri has died.

Mr Muchiri died in Nigeria on Saturday night while he was on a business trip.

He is said to have collapsed and was pronounced dead in a nearby hospital where he was taken.

His daughter Jane Njoki said the family had been briefed about the incident.

"We shall fly to Nigeria to get more details as what we have is scanty," she said yesterday.

Muchiri's family in Murang'a County received the news yesterday morning and by 2pm, meetings had been convened to organise how the body would be airlifted to Nairobi.

Key figure

Muchiri was a key figure in coffee farming and the co-operative sector. After his retirement from Cooperative Bank he remained president of the Federation of Cooperative Unions in Africa.

Internationally, Muchiri had served as vice president to the federation.

Muranga Governor Mwangi wa Iria paid tribute to Muchiri, who he described as a leader who promoted the co-operative movement not only in Murang'a but also in the entire country.

"On behalf of the people of Murang'a, I express our profound sympathy and condolences to the family and the Cooperative Bank of Kenya fraternity following the (death) of the bank's immediate former chairman Stanley Muchiri," said Mr Iria.

Muchiri's former deputy general manager at the union, Muchoki Kigo, eulogised him as a true son of Kenya who supported the co-operative movement.

"He steered the union in the right way and helped to support increased coffee production and raise funds to educate farmers' children," he said.