The state funeral of the third president of Kenya Stanley Emilio Mwai Kibaki is going on at the Nyayo stadium in Nairobi.
The state funeral comes ahead of his burial that will occur on Saturday April 30, in Othaya Nyeri County. Kibaki’s body will be ferried to Othaya by road.
Several African leaders are attending the funeral service including South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir, Ethiopia’s Sahle-Work Zewde, and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa
National leaders present at the event include president Uhuru Kenyatta, DP William Ruto, CS Fred Matiang’i as well as other government officials.
Ruto welcomed Kenyatta when he arrived at the stadium for the state funeral but the head of state avoided shaking hands with his deputy.
In a video that was shared online, President Uhuru Kenyatta kept his hands to himself after disembarking from his vehicle. They only greeted each other through gestures.
In a separate video, president Kenyatta warmly embraced other presidents and leaders as he ushered them to the VIP section. When Ruto showed up, the president clearly showed no interest in having any contact with him. The two engaged in a short conversation before each of them took their seats.
The same was witnessed on Monday during the viewing of Kibaki’s body at the National Assembly as President Kenyatta kept his distance.
Kenyatta and Ruto turned out to be political rivals after the Handshake between Raila and the head of state back in 2018.
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