Kiir jets in Kenya for Kibaki’s burial

South Sudan President Salva Kiir is in Nairobi to attend the state funeral of Kenya’s third President, Mwai Kibaki, who passed on Thursday last week aged 90.

In a statement to newsrooms, the Office of the President of South Sudan stated President Salva Kiir left Juba for Nairobi yesterday to attend the State Funeral of President Emilio Mwai Kibaki, former President of the Republic of Kenya who passed on, last week.

Upon his arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, President Kiir was received by Prof. Margaret Kobia, Kenyan Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Gender, Senior Citizen Affairs and Special Programmes, and Amb. Chol Mawut, South Sudan Ambassador to Kenya.

At least three sitting presidents have confirmed they will attend Mwai Kibaki’s State Funeral service at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi today.

The three are South Sudan’s Salva Kiir, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, and Ethiopia’s Sahle-Work Zewde, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau told The Standard newspaper yesterday.

Former Malawi President Joyce Banda will also attend the function.

Other dignitaries expected are Rwanda Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente, Zimbabwe’s Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, Tanzania’s Vice-President Philip Mpango, Uganda’s Vice-President Jessica Alupo, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland and Sri Lanka’s Special Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake.

Kibaki, who died aged 90 on April 22, will be buried on Saturday, April 30 at his Kanyange Village home in Othaya, Nyeri County.

The deceased served as Kenya’s third President between 2003 and 2013.