George Kebaso @Morarak

Nyamira Governor John Nyagarama who succumbed to Covid-19 complications last Friday  will be buried after Christmas, the Council of Governors (CoG) said yesterday.

A committee of 10 governors formed to oversee the burial plans and chaired by Kisii Governor James Ongwae, however, did not give details of the burial arrangements.

“The committee and family are yet to announce the burial arrangements,” CoG chair Wycliffe Oparanya said yesterday when a section of governors visited  Nyagarama’s family at his Karen home in Nairobi.

Oparanya said all leaders from the Kisii region would be involved.

“About 10 of us came together immediately after our colleague passed on and formed a committee for the reason of liaising with the family and National Government on the burial arrangment progress,” Oparanya said.

The other governors who are in the committee and who visited the family yesterday are Mwangi Wa Iria (Murang’a), Ali Korane (Garissa), Hillary Barchok (Bomet), Paul Chepkwony (Kericho), Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni) and Francis Kimemia (Nyandarua).

“We will be meeting the larger Gusii political leadership to update the programme,” said Oparanya.

Nyagarama, 74, died at Nairobi Hospital. He is the fourth governor to die while in office after both Nyeri county chiefs Nderitu Gachagua, his successor Wahome Gakuru and Joyce Laboso (Bomet).

The leaders described Nyagarama as a gentleman who rarely spoke, but was firm in his decisions.

Oparanya described him as a soft spoken leader who was the council’s bishop alongside Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga,as they took turns to pray during their meetings.

Ongwae  said Nyagarama—who was elected on ODM ticket in 2013 and re-elected in 2017—avoided political confrontations, unlike many leaders.

“Sometimes I wondered whether he was really a politician. He focused on improving the livelihoods of his people rather than politics,” said Ongwae.

Wa Iria described Nyagarama as a friend whose silence was so powerful, that he cooled down other governors in the council during heated sessions.