Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi speaking in Kakamega on May 20, 2025 / OPCS
Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, on Tuesday joined mourners in Chegulo Ward, Malava Constituency, Kakamega County, to bid farewell to Mzee William Lumati.
Mzee Lumati, the father of Cooperative University Vice Chancellor Dr. Bernard William Chitunga, passed away shortly after his son’s recent appointment by President William Ruto.
The burial drew family, friends, community members, and leaders who came to honour a man widely admired for his decades-long service in education and community leadership.
In his tribute, Mudavadi expressed heartfelt condolences to the Lumati family, describing the late patriarch as a pillar of wisdom and integrity.
“Mzee Lumati was widely respected for over two decades of dedicated service in the education sector,” he said.
“He will be remembered for his integrity, his tireless pursuit of academic excellence, and the profound impact he had on countless lives.”
Mudavadi lauded Lumati’s contribution not just in education, but also in his commitment to national service.
“Lumati was resourceful, patriotic, and supportive of the government,” he noted, adding that his influence extended beyond the classroom into the Church and community, where he held various leadership roles.
“He leaves behind a legacy grounded in humility, faith, and unwavering service,” Mudavadi concluded.
The ceremony served as both a solemn farewell and a celebration of a life lived in service to others—one that left a lasting mark on both the education sector and the community at large.
Cooperative University Vice Chancellor Dr Bernard William Chitunga with Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi during Mzee Lumati's funeral in Kakamega on May 20, 2025./HANDOUT“When we say that Kenya is very democratic, many do not believe it. I have noted that people from other nations come here to protest and are protected by Kenyan laws; they are not harmed,” he said.
“There are those who have left here with their antics and taken them to a neighbouring nation. You saw that they were not even allowed to leave the airport,” he said
Mudavidi cautioned that upon arriving in foreign countries, Kenyans are entirely subject to the laws of those nations.
Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi with other mourners during Mzee Lumati's funeral in Kakamega on May 20, 2025./HANDOUTHe also warned politicians inciting Kenyans to violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Mudavadi said Kenya has come a long way in every electoral cycle, and leaders who are out to divide the country must be called out and condemned.
He said the recent utterances by a section of leaders in comparison of the 2027 elections to the 2007 elections are uncalled for.
