Retired Archbishop Emeritus John Njenga was on Tuesday buried at Holy Family Minor Basilica, Nairobi.
The prelate succumbed to age-related ailment on November 4 at a city hospital. He was
90.
Clergymen and government leaders eulogised him as a man who never worshipped material wealth but one who devoted his life to helping the poor.
"He was a very social man...he had a vision of what should be done…he loved his job, he loved his God," Bishop Maurice Crowley of Kitale
said.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto were among government officials who attended the funeral service at the University of Nairobi. It was led by Cardinal John Njue.
Njue said, "We plead with God to accept him in eternal life and ask the Lord for us to uphold that which He has sent us in this world."
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Ruto described the late clergyman as selfless, visionary and a committed man of God.
"He didn’t do the things that would benefit him but he did things that benefited others," he said.
Uhuru asked Kenyans to emulate the bishop's lifestyle, especially in the face of growing challenges in life.
He said Njenga will be remembered for his generosity and dedication to serve others.
"I believe this is the essence of being a human being, to be able to care, to be able to love and to be able to commit yourself and your life to the service of your fellow man," he said.
Life and priesthood
Born on December 25, 1928, Archbishop
Njenga was the last born among eight children.
He was the first indigenous priest to be ordained in Nairobi Archdiocese in 1957 where he also made history by baptising his mother thereafter.
Njenga served in various dioceses with his longest stay being in Eldoret where he spent 18 years.
He was buried at a special place at the church and not inside as was the case with Eldoret Bishop Cornelius Korir.
According to the Catholic doctrine, a bishop can only be buried inside the church if he dies while still in office. Archbishop Njenga retired in 2005.
Njenga’s remains were interred in a crypt - a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building - within the church compound.
The crypt was constructed a few years back by the clergy of Nairobi who wanted a special grave for bishops. Njenga is the first to be buried there.
Had he not indicated his wish to be buried in Nairobi, he would have been buried in the Archdiocese of Mombasa where he served for 17 years in line with Catholic traditions.
Cardinal Maurice Otunga was the first Catholic cleric to be buried in the Archdiocese of Nairobi in August 2005.
Otunga had initially been buried at St Austin’s Cemetery in Msongari before.
His remains were exhumed and interred at the Resurrection Gardens in Karen as the process of his beatification kicked off.