Saturday, 14 December 2013 00:19
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President Mahinda Rajapaksa paid tribute to Kenya’s first President the late Jomo Kenyatta by laying a wreath at the mausoleum in the Parliament building in Nairobi yesterday.
Jomo Kenyatta, the current President Uhuru Kenyatta’s father, is considered the founding father of Kenya due to his leading role in Kenya’s independence movement.
In 1952, Jomo Kenyatta was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for his involvement with the Mau Mau Movement during the final days of British rule. He remained in prison for 10 years and became Kenya’s first Prime Minister when he was released in 1962.
After Kenya gained independence from the British on 12 December, 1963, the late Jomo Kenyatta became the country’s first President and served until his death in 1978.
President Rajapaksa was escorted to the mausoleum by Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto. Following prayers by Christian and Islamic religious leaders, the President laid a wreath and paid his respects. The President is currently on a four-day state visit to Kenya.
President Rajapaksa and the First Lady, yesterday (12), attended Kenya’s 50th Independence Day celebrations and are scheduled to attend a number of other official events during the visit.
Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris, Minister of Civil Aviation Geethanjana Gunawardena, Chief Minister of the Uva Province Shasheendra Rajapaksa, Monitoring MP of the Ministry of External Affairs Sajin De Vass Gunawardena and Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga accompanied the President to the mausoleum.
