Kenneth Matiba Cremated at Lang'ata Cemetery

Veteran politician Kenneth Matiba was cremated at Lang’ata Cemetery on Friday in a function only attended by family members and close friends.

The second liberation hero's remains were collected from Lee Funeral Home in the afternoon and arrived at the crematorium at around 2pm.

A short service was conducted outside the crematorium before his casket was wheeled inside the building into a small-roofed room, where a diesel-fuelled fire was lit by a family member.

Moments later, thick black smoke was seen emanating from the brick chimneys with those present catching a glimpse from a distance. Those who operate the crematorium said the body was being consumed by a fire of temperatures ranging between 1,000 to 2,000 degrees Celsius.

It was his wish to be incinerated once he dies and he has joined the growing list of prominent individuals who opted for the cremation route, among them the late Nobel Peace Price winner Wangari Maathai.

Matiba passed away while receiving treatment at the Karen hospital in Nairobi about one week ago. He will be remembered for his spirited fight for the return of multiparty democracy in Kenya in the 1990s.