Kenya to observe national mourning, flags at half mast in honour of ex-President Moi

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced national mourning to be observed in Kenya and all its embassies and missions abroad following the death of the country’s second President Danie Arap Moi Tuesday morning.

While announcing the demise of the President Moi, President Kenyatta ordered that the country shall observe national mourning from today until the former president is interred.

The Presidential decree also noted that the country’s flag shall be on half mast in all public institutions and embassies abroad until sunset on the day of the former leader’s burial.

The former head of state will be accorded a State Funeral, with all appropriate Civilian and Full Military Honours being rendered and observed, the decree also read.

Moi who took over power from the country’s first president Mzee Jomo Kenyatta in 1978 led the East African nation for 24 years before his retirement in 2002. He is credited for maintaining peace and stability at a period neighboring country such as Uganda, Somalia, Ethiopia and then Sudan were undergoing civil wars and political turmoil.

Moi, a former teacher who rose to become one of Africa’s long serving statesmen had been back and forth to hospital in the last two years before his death at Nairobi Hospital at 5.20am Tuesday.

His last-born son and Baringo county Senator Gideon Moi told the media the elderly statesman passed on at dawn. “Mzee passed away peacefully. I was by his side. As a family we accept,” Senator Moi said.