Body of late Kenyan envoy to South Sudan Chris Karumba Mburu arrives at JKIA

The body of the late Kenyan ambassador to South Sudan Chris Karumba Mburu who died of heart attack on Sunday night has arrived back in the country.

Mburu’s body was on Monday evening received at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) by his family flanked by Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo, Principal Secretary Kamau Macharia and South Sudan Ambassador to Kenya Chol Ajongo.

PS Macharia, addressing the press at JKIA, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will work closely with Mburu’s family to give him an honourable send off.

“It is a sad day for all of us. We have lost an outstanding, dedicated and exemplary person who has worked for the government for over 30 years,” he said.

The deceased has previously worked as an ambassador in Geneva, South Sudan and Nairobi.

Mburu, who also served as the director of External Intelligence at the National Intelligence Service (NIS), collapsed at his residence in Juba on Sunday night.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has since sent a message of condolence and comfort to the family, relatives and friends of the deceased envoy.

The President described the late Mr. Mburu as a distinguished career public servant and a great Kenyan diplomat who was committed to building strong bilateral ties between Kenya and South Sudan.

“Death has robbed us of a great public servant who served his country with distinction. Since his appointment as our envoy to Juba, Ambassador Mburu has worked hard to ensure free flow of trade and investment between Kenya and South Sudan,” wrote the President.