Today marks exactly 15 years since, former Vice President Michael Kijana Wamalwa departed this world in one of the most sombre moods that has ever been felt in the country.
And now we look back at events that happened in 2003 during Wamalwa’s death.
In his book, Riding on a Tiger, former VP Moody Awori’s memoirs, he reveals how Mwai Kibaki was overcome with grief upon the death of his deputy.
“In all the years I had known Mwai Kibaki, I had never seen him show emotion. But on that day, tears for Michael Kijana Wamalwa trickled freely down the President’s face.” That is an excerpt from Awori’s book.
You can Read the Whole Story below.
By Moody Awori
Although the President’s health was not yet good, Vice-President Kijana Wamalwa’s was deteriorating faster, giving a lot of concern to the President and the country as a whole.
Kijana Wamalwa was hospitalised in London just after six months in office.
As Vice President, his ill health received a lot of media attention and many people, including senior government officials who were in the USA or Europe, passed via London to visit him.
As always, when there is inadequate information, particularly about a popular senior politician in Kenya, speculation sets in.
The President relied on Cabinet Ministers and other government officials (who made a stopover in London while en route to other destinations) to brief him.
The President asked me to check on his Vice President at the hospital even though reports indicated that he was getting better.
On arrival in London, the High Commission helped me reach, via telephone, the Great North Hospital, where Kijana Wamalwa was hospitalised.
I was put through to George Arodi, the Vice President’s Director of Communications.
For some reason, Arodi was evasive and would not let me know when I could see the Vice President.
I sensed the parochial attitudes and political insularity common in Nairobi.
Apparently, he was consulting with Ford-Kenya officials. I called several times but they could not tell me when I could visit.
I had earlier run into Dr Newton Kulundu, the Minister for Health, who was also in London and we decided to visit the Vice President together.
When we reached the hospital, the Vice President’s political handlers could not allow us to see him.
Dr Kulundu was very upset. He told them that he was a medical doctor used to seeing patients even in their worst conditions.
He told them that he had seen dying and dead people and that he was at ease with any human medical condition.
We tried for two days to see the sick Wamalwa but we hit a brick wall.
At about 6.30 am on the third day, I received a call in our hotel room from our London High Commission with a request to go urgently to the Great North Hospital immediately.
When my wife and I reached the hospital, we were informed that the Vice President had died.
It was 23 August, 2003. The Vice President’s young wife, Yvonne Wamalwa, was there, weeping and extremely distressed.
The President in Nairobi needed to be told immediately.
The High Commissioner was in Nairobi but her deputy, a Mr Kiogora, was not only available but knew what to do via the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Fortunately, Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, the Minister for Trade, was visiting his in-laws in Norway and on his way back, jetted into London.
One of Wamalwa’s sons, Jabali, lived in Germany.
Dr Mukhisa knew how he could get him and arranged for him to join us immediately.
President Kibaki had very strong affection for his Vice President.
He considered sending his official plane. However, the logistics of the fact that it was a military plane (requiring special clearance over other countries’ airspace) put paid to our plans.
We contacted Kenya Airways. The national carrier agreed to our plans and took it as something of a patriotic duty to transport the VP’s remains to Kenya.
After settling on this, we had to see to the welfare of the widow who had accompanied the VP along with their five-year old daughter.
We comforted her and assured her of both our personal and the government’s full support as the President had promised by phone.
We (the Ministers) accompanied Yvonne to get the casket, clothes and everything needed for transporting the body.
When we arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, there was an overwhelming atmosphere of sadness.
There was a huge crowd, led by the President. It was like a national holiday.
President Kibaki announced there would be a state funeral for Wamalwa, the second in Kenya since Independence after that of the founding President, Jomo Kenyatta.
The body lay in state at Parliament buildings for public viewing as the whole country went into mourning.
I was touched by this show of compassion and grief. Kenyans had come to love VP Kijana Wamalwa intensely.
The funeral was at Wamalwa’s farm in Kitale. It was a sombre mood. It was also President Kibaki’s personal grief. After the funeral, the President ensured that Wamalwa’s family was well taken care of.