Political foes on Tuesday met during a memorial service of Dr. Magana Njoroge Mungai at PCEA Church of the Torch in Kikuyu.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, his predecessor Mwai Kibaki and Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga were united in paying their last respect to one of the country’s iconic leaders.
Dr. Mungai who passed on at the age of 88 was a former liberation hero, cabinet minister and nationalist who contributed immensely to the independence struggle and development of Kenya.
Eulogising the late Dr. Mungai, Kenyatta said the legendary leader, together with other founding fathers, laid down a firm foundation which all Kenyans are proud of.
“There is one thing we can learn from them, that sacrifice, commitment, dedication in service are key to success.”
Kenyatta reiterated his call to all leaders to stop political wrangles, saying : “ We don’t need to waste time quarrelling, fighting each other but rather we need to pull together and take Kenya to greater heights of development.”
The President told all leaders and especially CORD leader , Raila Odinga, that he is ready and willing to partner with all Kenyans and build a strong nation to bequeath the future generation a more prosperous and stable country they can all be proud of.
He challenged Kenyans to emulate the founding fathers who were ready to sacrifice personal comfort and gains for the success of this nation.
“I think today it is not very possible to get men and women committed to service. Most people would prefer financial gains more than serving their motherland; we need to change this kind of attitude,” Kenyatta said.
“To me personally, Dr. Mungai was a father. He has been a true mentor in life and politics,” Kenyatta said.
Immediate former President Mwai Kibaki called on leaders to avoid wasting time bickering unnecessarily and spend more time in serving Kenyans for the betterment of the country.
“Let us not waste a lot of time quarrelling amongst ourselves. There is too much quarrelling amongst us which adds no value to Kenya,” said Kibaki.
He added: “ We should emulate people like Njoroge Mungai who spent much of their time serving people and making our country what it is today.”
Kibaki recalled with nostalgia the independence days when the late Dr. Mungai and others returned to Kenya to explain to their compatriots the importance of self rule.
“Those of us who stayed with Dr. Mungai for some time remember him for what he was. He played a key role in the liberation of this country; he took time to explain to us the importance of being independent and why we could not continue with the colonial system,” said Kibaki.
Former Prime Raila Odinga said the late Dr. Mungai was born and raised at a very difficult and challenging period and yet he managed to contribute immensely to the well being of the nation.
He said the late Dr. Mungai’s contribution has greatly impacted the nation positively and Kenyans should strive to emulate him.
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