As the world prepares to lay Pope Francis to rest, Kenya will be represented by Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula at the Vatican, following his nomination by President William Ruto.
Wetang’ula is expected to depart for Rome this evening ahead of the funeral on Saturday, 26 April, at St Peter’s Square. The event is drawing a long list of world leaders paying tribute to a pontiff whose life was marked by simplicity, humility and an unshakable focus on society’s forgotten.
“I am deeply honoured by the President’s trust to represent our country at this sacred ceremony,” said Wetang’ula while speaking at the Apostolic Nunciature in Nairobi. He led a parliamentary delegation to offer condolences on behalf of the National Assembly.
Among other dignitaries expected at the funeral are US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Prince William. Also attending are UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Dutch King Willem-Alexander, and Argentine President Javier Milei — a nod to the Pope’s South American roots.
A Final Farewell
Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday, 21 April, at the age of 88. He had suffered from double pneumonia for over a month. Since his death, thousands of mourners have gathered for daily masses and to view his body at the chapel of Santa Marta.
The Vatican has confirmed the funeral Mass will begin at 11 a.m. local time and will be held in St Peter’s Basilica. The Pope’s death triggered a formal mourning period known as Novemdiales, lasting nine days and marked by daily Masses in his memory.
A quiet man by nature but bold in voice, Francis often challenged the status quo—speaking for migrants, the poor, and the marginalised. That legacy has drawn both admiration and criticism, even among those now honouring him.
His Final Wishes
The Vatican released the Pope’s spiritual testament, dated June 2022, shortly after his death. In it, he asked for a “simple burial,” requesting only a wooden tomb, unadorned, marked with the name Franciscus.
Traditionally, popes are buried in three coffins: a humble cypress wood casket, encased in a zinc coffin, and finally sealed in a decorative oak casket. But Pope Francis, true to his values, chose otherwise. Last year, he approved reforms to simplify the papal funeral rites, doing away with the triple-coffin tradition. The new rite includes just one wooden coffin, lined with zinc inside.
Still, elements of tradition remain. His body has been dressed in red and white papal vestments, placed for public viewing, and surrounded by prayers.
In Kenya, tributes have poured in from the Catholic faithful and political leaders alike. “He was a voice of peace in a divided world,” said a senior cleric at Holy Family Basilica. “We feel his loss deeply.”
As Wetang’ula joins mourners from every corner of the globe, his mission is not just ceremonial. It is a reminder of Pope Francis’ far-reaching impact — including on a continent where his calls for justice and dignity struck a chord.
And in the stillness of the Vatican’s basilica on Saturday, Kenya will be there, in quiet tribute to a shepherd who never stopped walking with the poor.
