DP William Ruto was among government officials, international leaders and Kenyans who converged at the Nyayo stadium for the state funeral of Mwai Kibaki.
Kibaki, who served as the third president of Kenya from 2002-2013, passed on a week ago while in hospital at the age of 90 years.
In his tribute to the fallen leader, DP Ruto described him as the best president Kenya has ever had.
According to Ruto, Kibaki laid a great foundation in terms of education, economy and infrastructure development and president Uhuru Kenyatta has been a good student of Kibaki in regards to the work that he had done for the country since taking over the leadership in 2013.
Below is Ruto’s full tribute to the former head of state.
“Your excellency honorable Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, president and commander in chief of Kenya defence forces, your excellency Margaret Kenyatta our first lady, your excellencies heads of states and governments and representatives of other countries present here, the family of the third president of the republic of Kenya led by Judy Kibaki, Jimmy, David and Anthony and all the family members both immediate and extended,
Colleagues, leaders present here , your excellencies ambassadors and high commissioners, Kenyans from all walks of life Today we are gathered here to mourn the departure and the demise of a great son of our country, our third president.
President Mwai Kibaki is a man of great simplicity. Brought up in Thunguri village in Othaya, the journey through tending to goats, a journey that made him a great scholar and the finest economist our country ever had, A distinguished public servant that rose through the ranks both in opposition and in government and of course the greatest president Kenya ever had.
We celebrate his achievement, his contribution and his rich and solid legacy. President Kenyatta has been a good student of president Mwai Kibaki, I know that as his deputy. President Mwai Kibaki and his history is the history of our country.
He was part of the architects of our independence, he was part of the first government and made a huge contribution, he was vice president to our second president. He laid a firm foundation both in education, in infrastructure development and he was the architect of our economy, he sowed the seeds and laid the foundation upon which our fourth president, President Uhuru Kenyatta built the expansive and extensive and elaborate infrastructure that we see today in our country.
I also can see his shadow and influence in what is going to become of the fifth president of Kenya because I see the conversation around the economy which president Mwai Kibaki was its architect influencing the coming elections.
And therefore when the history of Kenya is written, Mwai Kibaki will not fit in paragraphs, I do not think he can fit in chapters, we will need a separate book for Mwai Kibaki because of what he has done for our country.
Finally, in a quick three years your excellency we have bed farewell to our second president in 2019 and to our third president now, it is a solemn, it a heavy moment but I take in the heritage that we have built as a nation of respecting and honoring our leaders in office and in retirement and in death. Therefore I am confident that together as a nation we can stride into the future with the confidence and on the foundation that our fore fathers including Mwai Kibaki that we rest his soul this moment.
I want to say for me and my family that may Mwai Kibaki’s soul rest in peace,” DP Ruto concluded.
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