Roads closed for Moi burial as over 100,000 view body

Kenyans enter Parliament Buildings to view the body of the former president Daniel arap Moi yesterday. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Thousands of Kenyans queued for hours waiting for their turn to view the body of former President Daniel Moi, as it lay in state at Parliament Buildings, Nairobi.

This came as security agencies closed sections of roads in Nairobi for three days starting Saturday, as Kenyans streamed into Parliament to pay their last respects to the late president.

Government officials said about 24,683 people viewed the body on Saturday.

Head of Civil Service Joseph Kinyua said they projected the number of those who would have viewed the body by yesterday to be 100,000.

The Saturday figures do not include the dignitaries and special guests who accompanied President Uhuru Kenyatta to view the body.

When the viewing time closed at 5pm yesterday, thousands of Kenyans were still on the queue waiting for their turn.

“Kenyans who want to pay their last respects to the late Daniel arap Moi are free to do so,” Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho said.

Some of those who came said they travelled from upcountry to come and pay their last respects to Mzee Moi.

Yesterday, the usually relatively quiet Nairobi streets on Sunday mornings, came to life as the military parade escorted the body of the late president from the Lee Funeral Home to Parliament Buildings.

By daybreak, hundreds of eager Kenyans had already queued outside Parliament, spilling down onto City Hallway, as they waited for their turn for the historic chance to view Moi’s body.

In life, the late Moi was renowned for his dramatic motorcades that commanded the attention of crowds and brought streets and cities to a standstill, even when he was merely passing through. 

In death, awaiting interment on Wednesday, Moi’s powerful ability to bring things to a halt remains. As the procession proceeded through the streets, he once reigned over for a second last time. Bystanders could not help but stop and watch in awe, their curious and affectionate stares lingering long after the procession faded away.

While some roads had been closed to motorists, stunned pedestrians using the walkways could not help but stand in surprise, amazed by the grandiosity of the procession.

At Uhuru Highway, traffic police officers stopped the flow of traffic for the entourage to pass.

The parade gracefully cascaded through Valley Road, Kenyatta Avenue and onto Uhuru Highway, gliding past the city’s shiny office skyscrapers and breezy, tree-lined avenues before finally entering Parliament Buildings for the second day of viewing.

With military precision, the motorcade left the funeral home at exactly 7am.

At the front and the tail-end of the parade were two black police cars. A dark pick-up followed the leading police car, as men in dark suits stood out of the back to document the procession.

Riding shotgun

A green mini artillery truck driven by a colonel accompanied by a colleague in red uniform riding shotgun and white gloves followed with tiny flags attached to the front of the hood, at the back of which were eight military officers donning black, white and majorly red uniform, seated with their backs against each other’s, dutifully and respectfully guarding the trailing green carriage that bore Moi’s national flag-draped casket, with the coat of arms prominently displayed at the centre.

Outriders on white motorcycles made the journey all the more dramatic, flashing their colourful blue, yellow and red lights as they went through the streets.

A white bus and three smaller cars carrying family members followed, escorted by the final police car at the tail-end of the parade.

Less than 20 minutes later, the military outriders led the way to the Parliament grounds, where heavily armed security officers manned the gate and kept waiting civilians in check.

Jubilant Moi-era songs, composed and sang in praise of the late president and the republic he ruled softened the air as the procession drew to a final halt in front of Parliament entrance.

The colonels who had escorted the body from the mortuary remained put as new colonels took over, getting in formation before unfastening the casket from the carriage and sliding it down onto a bier and wheeling it into the building as the soldiers marched.

The building was then closed briefly, as Moi’s body was prepared for viewing, commencing the second day of the exercise.

Sections of roads in Nairobi were closed for the second day running.

In Nairobi, Aerodome Road will be closed tomorrow from 6am.

Uhuru Highway will also be closed at 6am. The other roads to be closed are Likoni, Bunyala, Valley Road and University Way roundabout.

Traffic on the Nairobi-Malaba highway will be disrupted between Nairobi and Eldoret on Wednesday. Those to be affected are heavy commercial vehicles from tomorrow midnight to Wednesday at 7pm.

“All road users are advised to strictly adhere to the Highway Code to avert inconveniences,” said police boss Hilary Mutyambai.

He added that there would be enhanced police deployment to ensure public safety and traffic control.

Inaccessible

A section of Uhuru Highway on the outer lane that branches to Parliament will be inaccessible to motorists.

Harambee Avenue and Parliament Road were also closed to ease movement of people to and from Parliament from Saturday to today.

As the viewing of the body continues today, police advised parents to leave children aged below 15 years at home, as they would not be allowed to view the body.

The public viewing of Moi’s body was started officially on Saturday by President Uhuru Kenyatta, who went into the viewing parlour at 10.15am accompanied by First Lady Margaret Kenyatta.

Kenyans began queuing at the City Hall Way from as early as 8am and waited patiently to view the body.

The exercise was closed at 4.30pm and will continue today from 8am and close at 5pm.

Moi, who succumbed to a long illness at the Nairobi Hospital on Tuesday, will be laid to rest at his Kabarak home on Wednesday, February 12. He will be accorded a State funeral, with all appropriate civilian and full military honours being rendered and observed.