Bishop Cornelius Korir was on Saturday buried in a tomb inside the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Eldoret at a unique and rare kind of burial never witnesses in the region before.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto were among the dignitaries who witnessed the spectacle.
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According to Catholic doctrines, a bishop who dies while still in office can be buried inside the church or at a special resting place specifically prepared for bishops.
Bishops witnessing as the tomb was shut after burial. /MATHEWS NDANYI
The burial was preceded by a state funeral attended by an estimated 70,000 mourners at the Eldoret sports club.
The Bishop's body was placed inside a mahogany casket and placed in a concrete tomb that was shut with wooden locks.
The president and selected guests dropped soil into the tomb before it was shut.
President Uhuru Kenyatta pays his last respects to the late Bishop Cornelius Korir at the bishop's graveside inside the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral. /PSCU
The tomb is located in a room just behind the altar in the church where Korir served for 27 years before his death on October 30.
He was suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure.
Priests prepare to carry the casket bearing the remains of the late Bishop Cornelius Korir ready for a burial. /MATHEWS NDANYI
About 400 guests were allowed to witness the burial inside the church.
The rest of the mourners kept tabs on the goings on on large screens that had been mounted outside the church.
Deputy President William Ruto and his wife Rachael lay a wreath on the tomb of the late Bishop Cornelius Korir inside the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral. /PSCU
The service and burial was conducted by a bevy of Catholic bishops led by Cardinal John Njue.
Operations came to a standstill in Eldoret town as thousands of people lined up on the streets to bid farewell to the clergyman celebrated as a great peacemaker.
Residents of Eldoret escort the body of Bishop Korir to the burial site. /MATHEWS NDANYI
Also present were governors Jackson Mandago (uasin Gishu), Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru), Alex Tolgos (Elgeyo Marakwet), Patrick Khaemba (Trans Nzoia) and Stephen Sang (Nandi).
Cabinet Secretaries Eugene Wamalwa (Water) and Willy Bett (Agriculture) were also among other government officials present.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto share a sign of peace with Catholic Clergy led by John Cardinal Njue during the burial mass of the late Bishop Cornelius Korir at the Eldoret Sports Club. /PSCU
