Uhuru in Lusaka for Kenneth Kaunda’s State funeral

President Uhuru Kenyatta arrived at the Lusaka Show Grounds for the Memorial service of the First President of the Republic of ZambiaFlag of Zambia Kenneth David Kaunda on Friday afternoon.

President Kenyatta arrived on Friday for the memorial service alongside other heads of state from South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.

Also in attendance are: Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana, former President Jakaya Kikwete , Namibia’s President Hage Geingob South African head of State Cyril Ramaphosa and Mozambique’s Filipe Nyusi.

Kaunda, a fervent PanAfricanist and a hero of southern African independence, died on June 17, 2021, at the age of 97, and will be buried on July 7.

Since his death, the military has flown his body across the country to ten different provinces so that people pay their respects.

In addition to his many exploits, the late Kaunda is known for leading Zambia to independence from British colonial authority in 1964 and for supporting nationalist movements in Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Armed groups were allowed to keep military outposts, training camps, refugee centers, and administrative offices during Kaunda’s rule.

He rose to prominence as one of Africa’s political giants later in life, assisting in the mediation of crises in Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Kaunda was the leader of the biggest nationalist party, the left-of-centre United National Independence Party, and was affectionately known as “KK” (UNIP).

Kaunda also became an AIDS activist, publicly declaring that one of his kids had died of the disease.

For his nonviolent, independence-related activities in the 1960s, he was nicknamed “Africa’s Gandhi.”