Kioni to be buried at Gatundu home today
By edwin-otieno, April 19, 2023
Departed Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) president Waithaka Kioni will be buried at his Gatundu home today.
Senior government officials as well as local and foreign sports administrators are expected at the funeral of veteran administrator who also doubled up as the second vice president of National Olympic Committee of Kenya.
Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) Zone V president Fernand Ruterana from Rwanda, is among the foreign dignitaries also expected for the final send off at Kioni’s rural home in Kiamwangi village, Gatundu in Kiambu County.
Charles Nyaberi who was recently appointed KVF president in acting capacity confirmed that Ruterana will attend the burial of Kioni, 70, who until his death was the Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) Deputy President and Treasurer, as well as National Olympic Committee of Kenya’s Second Deputy President.
“Ruterana has send us his traveling schedule .He is expected in the country at 6am Wednesday morning and he will proceed to The Lee Funeral where there will be public viewing of the body before they proceed to Kiamwangi Primary School for a requiem mass. CAVB President Bouchra Hajij had earlier on indicated her presence but I’m yet to get official communication from her,” said Nyaberi.
In the programme released by the funeral’s Organising Committee on Tuesday, family and relatives will depart from his rural home in Kiamwangi at 6am and arrive at the Lee Funeral home at 7am. There will be body viewing before the convoy departs from the mortuary at 9am.
The body is expected to arrive from the mortuary at 10am for holy mass scheduled for 12pm.
Kioni had gone for his routine gym session at Sportview Hotel in Nairobi on April 8, where he is reported to have collapsed.
He was rushed to St Francis Hospital but it took too long to get a fully-equipped ambulance to transfer him to Aga Khan Hospital leading to his death.
Kioni is survived by four children, Steve, Paul, David and Jemimah.
The Funeral Organising Committee chairman Edward Kisaka, a former Kenyan international, said it was all system go ahead of the burial.
“All the logistics are in place and we can’t wait,” he said.