Moi endorses Uhuru for top job

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BILLY MUTAI | NATION President Kibaki with Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and close family members during the burial of former Defence minister Njenga Karume at his Cianda home in Kiambu on March 3, 2012. 

By JOHN NGIRACHU jngirachu@ke.nationmedia.com AND ERIC WAINAINA rcwainaina@gmail.com
Posted  Saturday, March 3  2012 at  22:30

IN SUMMARY

• He says that the leadership gap following the death of John Michuki and Njenga Karume could only be filled by Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta

Retired President Daniel arap Moi caused a stir at the funeral of businessman and politician Njenga Karume on Saturday with another endorsement of Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta for the country’s top leadership.

Mr Moi’s political statement and euphemism changed the tone of the proceedings and marked the highlight of the funeral at Cianda near Kiambu attended by the who is who of Kenyan politics, business, the civil service and the entire top commanders of the Kenya Defence Forces.

Although there was an allusion to the politics suggested by Mr Moi, the majority of the leaders dedicated their speeches to eulogise Mr Karume, who was cosy with all three Kenya’s Presidents.

President Moi’s endorsement echoed his unsuccessful bid to have Mr Kenyatta replace him at State House when his term ended in 2002.

Yesterday, he suggested that with the deaths of John Michuki and Mr Karume, and the impending retirement of President Kibaki, there was a gap to be filled in the political leadership, and Mr Kenyatta is the man to take over.

“It is now upon the councilors and MPs to support the President (Kibaki) because Central Province has suffered a great loss with the death of these two men. They should get someone to fill that position and the person who can lead here is Uhuru Kenyatta,” said President Moi to cheers from the crowd.

He did not say much more, and none of the other leaders who spoke spent time discussing politics.

In his autobiography, Mr Karume says he entered politics reluctantly and it was perhaps fitting that there was only a little of it at his funeral.

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In his speech, delivered entirely off the cuff, President Kibaki said his interest was not in politics, as it was not the topic of the day, and Kenyans know very well how such matters play out.

He said the current MPs would continue to work for the good of Kenya. 

Each speaker recalled their relationship with Mr Karume, who died on February 24 at Karen Hospital after a short but painful battle with prostate cancer.

He has been out of the limelight since his coronation as a Kikuyu elder at the Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga shrine in Murang’a in November 2011.

Unlike many politicians, Mr Karume was a man of business before he became a political man, and those who spoke emphasised on his hard work and dedication to peace and national unity. 

Mr Karume was born in Elementaita to parents who worked on the farm owned by Lord Delamere and started his business life selling charcoal.

He eventually became the first African to own a shop in Kiambu’s Indian Bazaar and the first to have a cheque book issued in his name.

His casket was in gold and black colours, representing his rise from a charcoal dealer to a wealthy and influential businessman whose assets could easily be compared to gold.

Justice Paul Kihara moved the crowd when he complained, in Kikuyu, of the rampant drinking culture in Kikuyu youth that is said to render young men impotent.

Mr Karume’s last born son by his wife of six years is three-year old Emmanuel Karume.

Perhaps as a reflection of his respect and influence, yesterday’s mass was celebrated by 16 priests, with Bishop David Kamau, Archbishop John Njenga and Archbishop Ndingi Mwana’a Nzeki also in attendance.

The Anglican Church the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, African Independent Pentecostal Church of East Africa and a variety of other denominations were also represented.