Wetang’ula to attend Pope Francis’ funeral as Kenya’s representative
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula will be flying out of the country on Thursday, April 24, 2025, to represent President William Ruto at the funeral of Pope Francis at St Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Saturday, April 26, 2025.
Wetang’ula confirmed the latest while speaking at the Apostolic Nunciature in Nairobi, where he led a group of parliamentarians in offering condolences and signing the condolence book in honour of the late Pope Francis. He noted that the president had nominated him to represent Kenya at the event.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga was also present at the event.
The speaker also mourned the late pope as a devoted cleric who was dedicated to peaceful co-existence and humanity.
“In my communication to the House, when we observed a minute of silence, I quoted one of his profound statements: ‘The world is like a public hospital that heals wounds but wounds hearts.’ He stood for building bridges between people and communities, not erecting walls. We may not have a perfect world, but we need one where everyone is a brother or sister, regardless of background, religion, or social status,” Wetang’ula said.
“As we mourn this profound loss, let us continue to pray for our nation and for the eternal rest of Pope Francis, that his soul may find peace in the presence of the Almighty, and his legacy of compassion and justice live on in our actions.”
On his part, Raila shared that he was pained by the loss of the Pope, whom he described as a true representative of Christianity.
He also stated that the pope’s death is a huge loss to humanity, recalling how many lives he had touched during his tenure.
“He was a very gentle person who struggled in prayer for the world. Each time there was trouble anywhere, he was a voice of reason. He spoke for the downtrodden and the weakest among us, and he stood firmly against injustice,” Odinga said.
“I hope the Catholic Church gets another pope like him. I am not a Catholic, but I am a Christian and a friend of Catholics. That is why we are all deeply pained by the loss of Pope Francis. As the speaker said, he was the first pope from the Global South and exemplified the spirit of hope, reconciliation, and compassion,” he added.
