Mercy Mwai @wangumarcu 

Tanzania President, John Pombe Magufuli and his Somalia counterpart Mohamed Farmajo were among the regional Heads of State conspicuously missing yesterday during the memorial service of the late former President, Daniel arap Moi.

President Uhuru Kenyatta led a host of Heads of State and dignitaries from the East African region and beyond in celebrating the life and times of a leader, they all described as a statesman.

Although it was not immediately clear why Magufuli (pictured) did not personally attend, he sent two former Tanzania Presidents, Benjamin Mkapa and Jakaya Kikwete to represent him.

“My President, Magufuli, asked Kikwete and I to attend this event, as a sign of our brotherhood and unity between Kenya and Tanzania…

It was with great sorrow and sadness that I have learned about the demise of the former President of Kenya and on behalf of the people of Tanzania, I would like to express my deepest condolences and most sincere sympathy to you and Kenyans…” said Mkapa, who read Magufuli message of goodwill.

Since he was elected president in 2015, Magufuli, has not been making oversees trips, insisting that his policy is cutting expenditure. 

Farmajo gave the event a wide berth as he did not only miss the event but also failed to send any delegation to represent him perhaps due to the frosty relations between Kenya and Somali.

Although Kenya has been in the forefront in pushing for peace in Somalia, it has in the recent times engaged in a border dispute after Somalia sued Kenya at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2014, seeking to redraw the sea boundary between the two countries.