President William Ruto on Saturday arrived in Namibia for the funeral of late President Hage Geingob.
Ruto will join other Heads of State for Geingob’s Memorial Service which will be held at the Independence Stadium.
The Burial Service and wreath laying will take place at the Heroes’ Acre monument on Sunday.
Geingob's body laid in state at Parliament Gardens for viewing by the public from Friday, 4:30 pm through the night until Saturday 11:30 am
His casket was guarded by the guard of honour, NDF vehicles, and helicopters along with law-enforcement agencies through Windhoek for a final goodbye.
A total of 18 heads of state will be present at the funeral, including Ruto, Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu Hassan, German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Finnish president Sauli Niinistö, South African Development Community leaders including South Africa’s Cyril Ramaposa and Thabo Mbheki, Angola’s João Lourenço, Botswana’s Mokgweetsi Masisi and Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo, among others.
In addition, 27 countries sent delegations, including the United States of America’s Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland and Ambassador Randy Berry, China’s special envoy and vice chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Jiang Zuojun, and a delegation from Algeria led by the president of People’s National Assembly of Algeria Brahim Boughali.
The 82-year-old leader, surrounded by his wife, Madame Monica Geingos, and children, succumbed to his battle with cancer early this month.
The then Vice President Nangolo Mbumba (now President), delivering the somber news, expressed deep regret, stating, "It is with utmost sadness that I inform you that our beloved Dr. Hage G. Geingob has passed on. Despite the tireless efforts of his medical team, President Geingob, sadly, did not recover."
Geingob returned from the United States of America on January 31, 2024, following a two-day novel treatment for cancerous cells.
He had courageously disclosed his diagnosis to the public just a month ago.
Having assumed office in 2015, Geingob was in his second and final term, serving as the chief architect of Namibia's Constitution and a pivotal figure in the liberation struggle.
