Kivuitu to be buried after polls

By Cyrus Ombati
The family of former Electoral Commission of Kenya boss SamuelKivuitu has announced that they will delay his burial until after the polls.

Mr Kivuitu died at 10pm on Monday at the MP Shah Hospital in Nairobi where he had been rushed hours earlier after he complained of chest pains.

Kivuitu’s houseboy Nzomo Mbongoyo fought back tears as he recounted the last moments with his departed boss on Monday.
Mbongoyo said he had finished washing Kivuitu when his condition suddenly deteriorated forcing them to rush him to hospital.

He said that the ex-elections boss was rushed to MP Shah Hospital in the evening after his condition deteriorated.

Offering an official statement on behalf of the family, spokesman John Musyoki said Kivuitu died of cardiac arrest as a result of acute pneumonia.

He said Kivuitu had complained of severe chest pain prompting the house help to seek assistance to have him taken to hospital. On arrival he was immediately admitted to the Intensive Care Unit after an X-ray.

“He was brought here for an X-ray over the chest pains. After the X-ray he collapsed and was admitted to the ICU where he passed away at 10.30 pm. The X-ray results show he had cardiac arrest and pneumonia,” Musyoki told journalists.

Musyoki said due to the historic Monday General Election, the family has decided to delayKivuitu’s burial.

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka condoled the death of Mr Kivuitu saying he was saddened by his death.

The VP said he had known the late Kivuitu as a close parliamentary colleague, lawyer and friend.

He described the deceased as "a humble, stoic, philanthropic and a social person who always strived to give his best to humanity and in particular to his country.”

As ECK chairman, Mr Kivuitu presided over disputed 2007 General Election that led to the post-election violence in which 1,133 people were killed and 650,000 displaced.

Kivuitu was appointed as ECK boss by former President Daniel Moi to replace Zacheous Chesoni who was the head of the Electoral Commission during the 1992 General Election.

Kivuitu served as elections boss in 1997, 2002 and also oversaw the constitution referendum in 2005. He was reappointed as ECK boss by President Kibaki ahead of the 2007 General Election.

Kivuitu was educated in Uganda (1959–1961) and Tanzania (1961–1965). He was elected MP for Parklands in 1969 and served until 1974. He served as constituency’s MP once more between 1983 and 1988.