Moi service: Kenyans fill Nyayo Stadium to say goodbye

Kenyans from all walks of life started streaming into Nyayo National Stadium as early as 5am for the requiem service of former president Daniel Toroitich arap Moi who died on Tuesday last week.

His body left Lee Funeral Home at 8.27am under heavy military security headed for State House.

Some Kenyans said they had arrived as early as 2am in anticipation of the big day. By 5am, people had lined up ready to enter the stadium.

School buses from various parts of the country, which have been used to ferry mourners to the venue, were parked on roadsides and Kenyans were asked to alight and line up from the access road that branches from Bunyala Road into the stadium.

At round 7.20am, the military gun carriage arrived at the venue.

Shortly after, some of Moi’s relatives and VIP guests started to arrive.

Kenyans had been asked to be seated by 8am. Reports on the ground indicate that mourners who arrived at the last minute were allowed into the stadium without any frisking.

Moi’s funeral procession left State House for Nyayo Stadium with the military escorting the body.

The service is expected to start at 10.30am when President Uhuru Kenyatta, State officials and guests arrive.

About 11 heads of state are expected in the event. It has not yet been revealed who the 11 are and whether they will all attend the requiem mass, or will opt to attend the funeral service at Kabarak, Nakuru County on Wednesday.

County Governors, including Nairobi’s Mike Sonko and Meru’s Kiraitu Murungi, arrived at the venue at around 8.15am. They arrived in a bus and were let into the stadium through a VIP entrance.

Last week, the government designated Tuesday, February 11, a public holiday for the memorial service.

Mzee Moi’s body has been lying in state at Parliament Buildings for three days and a staggering 213,000 people were granted access to view his body, according to police sources.

Moi’s will be the second State funeral with full civilian and military ceremonial honours in events that will largely mirror that of Kenya’s founding president Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.

The difference with his predecessor’s State funeral is that while Mzee Moi will get a 19-gun salute and will not be dressed in military uniform, Mzee Kenyatta, who died while in office in 1978, had a 21-gun salute and was dressed in military regalia.

Here’s how the service is set to be conducted, according to the official programme.

8:00 a.m. Members of the public are seated

8:00 – 10:15 a.m. Presentations by choirs

8:30 a.m. President Daniel Moi’s cortege leaves for State House and thereafter for Nyayo Stadium

10:00 – 10:20 a.m. Arrival and sitting of State officials and guests

10:30 a.m. Arrival of His Excellency the President and the First Lady

10:35 a.m. State reception of the cortege of President Daniel Moi

10:45 – 12:00 noon State memorial service

At 12 p.m., tributes to the former president are set to start and end at 2 p.m.

2:15 p.m. Casket of the late President Daniel Moi leaves Nyayo Stadium for Lee Funeral Home.