Nairobi's eighth African Mayor John Mwangi King'ori will be laid to rest this weekend at his home in Kamiti, Kiambu County.
According to his 32-year-old third born child, Alex Kimani Mwangi, burial arrangements are currently ongoing at his father's Accra Hotel where friends and family members will meet daily.
“As a family we have decided to lay our father to rest in Kamiti where he had bought land for his home. The burial will take place either on Friday or Saturday, we have not yet decided ,” he said on Monday at Accra hotel.
King'ori passed away at Nairobi Hospital last week on Friday after being diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Besides being a former mayor, King'ori was a businessman and owned the famous Accra Hotel among other investments.
His son, Kimani explained that he father had been well but got admitted on December 27, 2020 before he died 30 days later .
“ My father was diagnosed with a brain tumour after the doctors discovered it in March last year. He however, underwent a successful surgery in the same month,” he said.
The 75 year old is survived by a wife, four children; two sons and two daughters as well as two grandchildren.
Kimani described his father as a man who was free and mingle with anyone regardless of age.
“He had a good sense of humour and was a lively person," he said .
King’ori served as the mayor of the defunct Nairobi City County Council between 1994 and 1996.
He had replaced Dick Waweru and was later succeeded by Sammy Mbugua.
King'ori will be remembered for his most famous quote “ I was the Mayor and others are mere kanjuras."
In an article published in the New York times in 1995, King'ori said he had a call from God to salvage Nairobi city.
One of Kingori's grandchild, Caroline Macharia said he was a Kareteka with a black belt .
“Even while he was sick he still used to train at the gym at Accra hotel . He even at one point carried the dumbbells to Nairobi Hospital," she said.
