Body Of Late Charles Njonjo Cremated Hours After He Died

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 2- The body of the late Charles Njonjo has been cremated, a few hours after he died, in line with his wish.

President Uhuru Kenyatta said the country’s first Attorney General died “peacefully” on Sunday morning at 5 am.

A family member Mr. Ngini, who spoke to Capital FM Kenya said, “Charles Njonjo was very clear in his instructions that he be cremated immediately after his death; he didn’t want funeral-related fanfare. He wanted to be cremated almost immediately after death. So we have fulfilled his wish.”

He was commonly referred to as the Duke of Kabeteshire.

Njonjo was the son of the late Josiah Njonjo, a colonial paramount chief and one of the foremost collaborators of British rule in Kenya.

He was the only surviving member of Kenya’s independence Cabinet.

“The passing away of Hon. Njonjo is a big blow not only to his immediate family, friends, and relatives but to all Kenyans and indeed, the entire African continent because of his leading role in the founding of the Kenyan nation at independence,” President Kenyatta said in a statement on Sunday.

He said Kenya owe a debt of gratitude to the late Njonjo, “and his generation of independence era leaders for their selfless contribution to the laying of the solid foundation upon which our country continues to thrive.”

In his condolence message, the President said Kenya’s progressive constitutional and legal regime owes its robustness to Njonjo’s “splendid work when he served as the country’s first post-independence Attorney General.”

Deputy President William Ruto said the late Njonjo was a “knowledgeable, blunt and dedicated advocate for the causes he believed in.”

He died at the age of 101 years.