In August 2003, Moody Awuori travelled with his wife for a Macmillan Publishers meeting in London. Before he left for London, he called at State House where former President Mwai Kibaki asked him to check on the then hospitalized former Vice President the late Michael Wamalwa Kijana.
Moody had been the Chairman of Macmillan Kenya Publishers since 1974.
On arrival in London, the High Commission helped Moody reach, via telephone, the Great North Hospital, where Kijana Wamalwa was hospitalised.
“I was put through to George Arodi, the Vice President’s Director of Communications.
For some reason, Arodi was evasive and would not let me know when I could see the Vice President.
I sensed the parochial attitudes and political insularity common in Nairobi.
Apparently, he was consulting with Ford-Kenya officials. I called several times but they could not tell me when I could visit,” said Moody.
Moody then run into the late Dr Newton Kulundu, the then Minister for Health, who was also in London and they decided to visit the Vice President together.
When they reached the hospital, the Vice President’s political handlers could not allow them see him.
Dr Kulundu was very upset. He told them that he was a medical doctor used to seeing patients even in their worst conditions.
He told them that he had seen dying and dead people and that he was at ease with any human medical condition.
Awuori and Kulundu tried for two days to see the sick Wamalwa but failed.
At about 6.30 am on the third day, Awuori received a call in his hotel room from Kenya’s London High Commission with a request to go urgently to the Great North Hospital.
When Awuori and his wife reached the hospital, they were informed that the Vice President had died.
It was 23 August, 2003. The Vice President’s young wife, Yvonne Wamalwa, was there, weeping and extremely distressed.
The President in Nairobi needed to be told immediately.
The then Trade Minister, Dr Mukhisa Kituyi was visiting his in-laws in Norway and on his way back, jetted into London where he helped Awuori trace one of Wamalwa’s sons, Jabali who lived in Germany
President Kibaki had very strong affection for his Vice President that he even considered sending his official plane to pick his body.
Awuori and his team however made plans and had national Carrier Kenya Airways help carry Wamalwa’s body back home. They also had to see to the welfare of the Yvonne Wamalwa who had accompanied the VP along with their five-year old daughter.
They comforted her and assured her of both of their personal and the government’s full support as the President had promised by phone.
They accompanied Yvonne to get the casket, clothes and everything needed for transporting the body.
Awuori narrates of the overwhelming atmosphere of Sadness that engulfed the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport once they arrived with Wamalwa’s body.
“When we arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, there was an overwhelming atmosphere of sadness. There was a huge crowd, led by the President. It was like a national holiday,” said Awuori.
President Kibaki announced there would be a state funeral for Wamalwa, the second in Kenya since Independence after that of the founding President, Jomo Kenyatta.
The body lay in state at Parliament buildings for public viewing as the whole country went into mourning.
The funeral was at Wamalwa’s farm in Kitale. It was a sombre mood. It was also President Kibaki’s personal grief.
In all the years Awuori had known Mwai Kibaki, he had never seen him show emotion but on that day, tears for Michael Kijana Wamalwa trickled freely down the President’s face.
After the funeral, the President ensured that Wamalwa’s family was well taken care of.