NAROK, Kenya, Mar 6 — A host of top leaders received President William Ruto at the funeral of the late Johanna Ng’eno wearing gumboots, braving the soggy, rain-soaked grounds in Emurua Dikirr ahead of the lawmaker’s burial on Friday.
Among them were Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Narok Governor Patrick Ntutu, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.
The overnight downpour had turned the funeral grounds into a muddy field, forcing attendees to wade through puddles — some with mismatched boots or just one gumboot, highlighting a scarcity of supplies in nearby centers.
The spectacle of boots and muddied ankles lent a uniquely Kenyan texture to the solemn occasion, even as the nation mourned the sudden loss of a leader killed in a tragic helicopter crash in Chepkiep, Mosop Constituency, Nandi County.
Ng’eno, the Member of Parliament for Emurua Dikirr, perished along with five others when a Eurocopter AS350, registration 5Y-DSB, went down shortly after departing Tabolwa airstrip.
Victims included pilot retired Colonel George Were, forest ranger Amos Kimwetich Rotich, the MP’s cameraman Nicholas Kosgei, teacher Robert Kipkoech Keter, and Narok County protocol officer Wycliffe Kiprotich Rono.
A postmortem conducted by government pathologist Johansen Oduor confirmed that all six died from multiple traumatic injuries and severe burns sustained in the crash.
Crash probe
The bodies were positively identified, paving the way for burial arrangements while the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID) continues to investigate under international aviation standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Meanwhile, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said he would skip the funeral of a man he termed as an ally, accusing Ng’eno’s political rivals of persecuting him in life while pretending to mourn him in death.
“Your tormentors who hunted you like an antelope are now shamelessly shedding crocodile tears,” Gachagua said in a statement.
“They persecuted you in life and now pretend to love you in death. I will not sit with them as they feign sorrow.”
Gachagua described Ng’eno as a “great friend, confidant and political soul mate” who remained steadfast in defending the interests of the Kipsigis community, despite marginalization, political isolation, and humiliation.
He recalled moments when Ng’eno was blocked from accessing State House Nairobi and when attempts were made to stop him from chairing the National Assembly’s Housing Committee — challenges Gachagua said he personally helped shield him from.
Gachagua urged his constituents to remain strong and pray for another courageous leader to emerge.
