NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 24 – Top leaders were expected at the burial of the late John Nyagarama, the Nyamira Governor who succumbed to COVID-19 last week.
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga, Governors and a host of Cabinet Secretaries and other government officials were expected to attend the funeral at the Governor’s Tente home.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi said Nyagarama will be accorded a state funeral.
Nyagarama, 74, succumbed to COVID-19 at the Nairobi Hospital where he had been hospitalised for a month.
Nyagarama’s body was airlifted from Nairobi to his Borabu home for viewing ahead of a funeral ceremony at Nyamira Primary School grounds.
On Wednesday, an interdenominational prayer service was held at Nyamira Primary School.
Nyamira County Assembly Speaker Moffat Teya said the late Nyagarama had reconciled with the Assembly two months before his death.
Teya said by the time the Governor died, he had brokered a deal to strengthen their working relations.
“We had agreed on various issues that we were going to work out for the good of Nyamira residents and even as he died, we had put it on us as the Assembly to assist the Governor to deliver on the promises he had made to the people,” Teya said.
Nyamira Deputy Governor Amos Nyaribo will be sworn in to take over.