President Uhuru Kenyatta during the 41st memorial service of his late father, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, on Thursday, declared that it would be the last time that they’d honour the founding father in a public event.
Speaking from Holy Family Basilica, the President declared that after consultations with his family, they had decided that they would not be celebrating Mzee Jomo publicly moving forward.
“As President, I have consulted the family of the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, and after consulting them, we have agreed together that this is going to be the last celebration of Mzee in this manner,” he remarked.
This marked the end of a tradition that has spanned for over 4 decades, ever since Uhuru first eulogised his late dad back in August 1978.
He went on to divulge that the family would henceforth be conducting mzee’s memorial in their own private way.
“We shall each celebrate him as we remember him, and in the manner in which we will be doing our things going forward,” a reflective Uhuru disclosed.
Uhuru went on to thank former Presidents, Daniel Arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki, for always honouring his late father’s memorial day.
In what turned out to be the last public memorial ceremony in honour of the country’s first president, Uhuru urged all who were present to live at peace with their brothers and sisters.
“Don’t do something to hurt your brothers and sisters. Some of the words people spew, forgetting that there are families behind those words that you spew,” the President stated.
Uhuru was accompanied by several members of his family, including his brother Muhuho Kenyatta, as well as his mother at the colourful memorial service
