Kenya: Calls for Harmony Top Home Visit

David Macharia

24 May 2011

Nairobi — Efforts to have the halted burial process of Olympic champion Samuel Kamau Wanjiru resume got a boost on Tuesday with the Athletics Kenya and his Italian manager joining in.

The athletics body sent a high-powered delegation that comprised of vice-chairman Jack Tuwei, public relations officer Peter Angwenyi and Mary Chege, who is in charge of women’s affairs at the federation, to Nyahururu to condole the family.

The Riadha House team was received in Wanjiru’s Muthaiga Estate home by a large group of runners and coaches.

Federico Rosa, who flew in from Italy and arrived in Nyahururu on Tuesday morning, said he would also put effort in a bid to have the family of the 2008 Beijing Olympic marathon gold medallist agree and allow the burial process to go on.

Rosa said he had paid Wanjiru all his dues by October last year and that he would do all he could to support the two children left behind by the deceased.

Saying Wanjiru was the greatest champion of recent times after Usain Bolt, Rosa said many people who knew the runner in Italy had already booked the flight to attend the burial before it was put off following a court order obtained by the champion’s mother, Hannah Wanjiru.

Subjected to shame

“It is sad that a great runner like Wanjiru is being subjected to shame with focus being directed elsewhere instead of at [giving him] a decent burial,” Rosa, who also manages Paul Tergat, said.

“In a very short time, Wanjiru achieved what many have only dreamt of. He was an exemptional athlete and I don’t know when we will find his match.”

Said Tuwei: “AK is saddenned by his death; it’s a blow to the country and his family and training mates. We will miss him.”

The lawyer representing Wanjiru’s widow, Teresia Njeri, said there was no dispute to warrant delay of the marathon icon’s burial.

“There no dispute in this matter because what Wanjiru’s mother wants are the same things the runner’s wife also wants. The mother wants conclusive investigations and a postmortem report…. these are the same things the wife is asking for,” Ndegwa Wahome said.

Wahome said claims by the athlete’s mother that she had been sidelined during the burial arrangements were not true since the brother of the deceased, Simon Njoroge, and other relatives attended burial committee meetings before they were stopped by the court action.

While inviting people of goodwill to a reconciliation meeting due last evening, Wahome blamed people with vested interests of causing misunderstanding in the family.

“When with remove the veil and see the faces of those people, then a solution to this matter will be found,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Nyahururu District Security Committee says it has also been seeking a solution to the stalemate.

District Commissioner Lucy Mulili, OCPD Jaspher Ombati and DCIO Isaac Onyango assured that the State was keen to see a solution is found so that Wanjiru can be given a respectful send-off.

They visited the mother’s home twice but did not meet her because she was said to have gone out.

AllAfrica – All the Time