Burial date for Mukami Kimathi set

By Peter Ochieng

The burial date for Mukami Kimathi has been set.

Mukami died on Thursday night in Nairobi.

Known as freedom heroine, Mukami is Freedom fighter Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi's widow.

She will be buried on Saturday, 13th May 2023 in Nyandarua County.

The date was arrived at on Friday, during a meeting between Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and members of Mukami Kimathi's family.

The meeting was held at Gachagua's Harambee Annex office.

"In consultation with the family, we have agreed that the funeral service will be held on Saturday, 13th May, 2023, at her home in Njabini, Nyandarua County, and H.E President Ruto will lead the government in giving the late hero a befitting send-off," Gachagua said in a statement.

He said a national funeral committee will be chaired by Raymond Omollo, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Interior.

"A national funeral committee to plan the burial of Field Marshal Mukami will be chaired by the Principal Secretary for Interior and National Administration Dr. Raymond Omollo and another committee at the County level to be chaired by the Governor of Nyandarua County Moses Ndirangu Badilisha."

"The Government has agreed to the request by the family of the late hero that all surviving and other freedom fighters will be accorded special recognition during the service," added the Deputy President.

Mukami was aged between 96-102 years.

She alongside her husband and other freedom fighters, were instrumental in Kenya's fight for independence under the Mau Mau.

Dedan Kimathi was killed by British colonisers.

It is not yet clear where he was buried.

Mukami's wish was that she be told where her husband was buried, but it never came to be until her death.