As the country gears towards the climax of mourning the late former president Mzee Daniel Moi, Kenyans continue getting more exposure to the normally secretive military way of life.
Moi, who died on Monday aged 95, is currently lying in state at Parliament as the public throngs the venue to pay their last respects towards the fallen leader, in line with the stipulations of a military burial.
On Saturday, Kenyans were treated to a rare show, as soldiers ferried Moi from Lee Funeral Home, to Parliament, aboard a gun carriage, an automotive last used in 1978, during the burial of founding president Jomo Kenyatta.
Until he is buried on Wednesday, Moi’s body will remain under heavy KDF guard, with the soldiers charged with the noble responsibility operating on a shift basis.
As in a military parade, when exchanging shifts, the five incoming soldiers maintain the traditional military march when approaching the late Moi’s body, and surround the viewing area, outside the barricade.
After acknowledging their arrival, the outgoing soldiers loosen the barricading ropes near Mzee’s head and exit through that path, while the incoming soldiers enter the area through the spaces on both sides of the body.
Change of guard for KDF officers at the Late former President #MoiBodyViewing. pic.twitter.com/dT3E247aq3
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) February 9, 2020
They then stand at attention before the body as a show of respect, before re-sealing the area and standing guard.
Moi’s body viewing exercise will come to an end on Monday, ahead of a memorial service set to be held at the Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi on Tuesday.
Leaders who paid their last respects to Moi on Sunday include retired President Mwai Kibaki, and Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko.
