EXPLAINER: What happens during a State Funeral?

Former President Daniel arap Moi passed away on Tuesday morning.

President Uhuru Kenyatta released a presidential proclamation soon after announcing Moi will be accorded a state burial.

The President also announced the country will observe a period of national mourning every day until the day of the funeral in honour of Moi.

The former president was 95 years of age and died on Tuesday at 5.20 am while receiving treatment at Nairobi Hospital.

But what happens during a State Funeral?

The burial ceremony of Mzee Moi will be conducted along with certain procedures that are traditionally preserved for army personnel.

The national flags and prescribe flags within the military will be flown half-mast until his burial.

At the burial or cremation ceremony, full military honours, including the firing of weapons among other reverence traditions are accorded in honour of the deceased.

Small arms or gun salute will be fired after his body is lowered into the grave.

Being a retired Commander-in-Chief, Moi will receive the military last or three-volley salute.

The weapon fired during the burial is either a riffle or a gun in the case of a general officer and Commander in Chief.

The firing party will consist of an odd number of members and will vary in composition and regalia.

With their rifle muzzles pointed upwards over the casket, the party will fire gun salute ranging from 13 to 21 rounds of ammunition.

Moi’s casket will be draped in the national flag to affirm that he is mourned by the entire nation and appreciated for his sacrifice.

Kenya has only accorded three individuals State burials since it's independence in 1963.

They are the founding President Jomo Kenyatta, former Vice President Kijana Wamalwa and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai.

Wikipedia describes a state funeral as a public ceremony observing strict rules of protocol held to honour heads of State or other people of national significance.

State funerals usually include pomp and ceremony as well as religious activities and elements of military tradition. The public is usually involved in state burials.

Jomo was accorded the first state funeral on August 31, 1978. His body lay in state for 10 days with the national mourning period lasting 30 days.

Kenyatta was buried in a marble mausoleum at Parliament Buildings.

The casket was wheeled from State House through the streets of Nairobi to the mausoleum by the same gun carriage that was used during the 1965 funeral of Sir Winston Churchill, Britain’s World War II prime minister.

Along the procession were representatives of dozens of nations, including 11 heads of state and government.

The state burial of Wamalwa, Kenya's eighth vice president, took place on September 6, 2003.

He was buried at his Milimani home in Kitale in a ceremony that was characterised by elaborate rites.

The government had offered to bury Wamalwa at Heroes Corner at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi.

Maathai’s funeral service was held at the country’s symbol of independence, Uhuru Park, on October 7, 2011.

She was later cremated according to her will and the ashes interred at the Wangari Maathai Institute of Peace and Environment Studies at the University of Nairobi’s Kabete campus.

Maathai was the founder of the Green Belt Movement and the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

Death and Burial in Military

Like all cultures, the dead are given a respectful send-off within the military.

Burial ceremonies in the military are conducted along with certain procedures that are traditionally preserved for army personnel.

Upon the demise of an officer, service member or constabulary, prescribed flags are immediately flown half-mast until burial.

At the burial or cremation ceremony, military honours, including the firing of weapons among other reverence traditions are accorded in honour of the deceased.

Small arms or gun salute are fired after the body is lowered into the grave.

The procedure for cremation follows a similar format.

A head-of-state that dies in the office is entitled to military burial.

The honour is extended to retired heads of states, retired chiefs of Defence Forces and any other person as may be authorised by the Defence Council.

However, those who commit suicide in circumstances other than under the threat of capture by the enemy are not accorded such honours since taking one’s life is considered a taboo and against the laws of Kenya.

The last or Three-Volley Salute

The last or three-volley salute is fired at military funerals for commissioned officers and service members.

The custom originates from European dynastic wars, where fighting ceased so that the dead and wounded could be evacuated after which three shots were fired into the air to signal the resumption of the battle.

In recent days, the weapon fired during the burial is either a riffle or a gun in the case of a general officer and Commander in Chief.

The firing party consists of an odd number of members and varies in composition and regalia depending on the rank of the departed soldier.

With their rifle muzzles pointed upwards over the casket, the party fires between 20-50 rounds of ammunition for a private soldier up to a colonel.

Gun salutes are fired for general officers and Commander-in-Chief ranging from 13 to 21 rounds for one Star through to Commander –in –Chief.

Casket

The casket bearing the remains of the departed is draped in the national flag to affirm that the fallen soldier is mourned by the entire nation and appreciated for his sacrifice.

The soldiers working regalia is placed on the casket to symbolise honour for Military service.

For a commissioned officer, a sword, pair of boots and forage cap is placed on the casket while for a service member the bayonet replaces the sword.