Deputy President William Ruto eulogised the late, retired President Mwai Kibaki as the greatest president Kenya has ever had.

Ruto was addressing the crowd and dignitaries who gathered at the Nyayo National Stadium to pay their tribute to Kibaki during the state funeral service.

He said Kibaki was a man of great simplicity who grew up in the village that ended up becoming an eminent scholar and the finest economist Kenya has ever had.

The deputy president said Kibaki was a distinguished public servant who rose through the ranks both in the opposition and in government.

“…a great scholar and the finest economist our country ever had a distinguished public servant that rose through the ranks both in the opposition and in government and of course, the greatest president Kenya ever had,” Ruto said.

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He said the country was celebrating his achievements, contribution and his rich and solid legacy.

Ruto also said President Uhuru Kenyatta has been an outstanding student of Kibaki.

“We celebrate his achievements his contribution and his rich and solid legacy. President Kenyatta has been a good student of President Mwai Kibaki, I know that as his deputy,” he said.

Ruto also said Kibaki and his history is the history of our country as he was part of the architects of Kenyan independence.

The deputy president said as the vice president of Kenya’s second president, Kibaki laid a firm foundation both in education in infrastructure development and was also the architect of Kenya’s economy.

He further said Kibaki laid the foundation upon which Uhuru built the expansive and elaborate infrastructure that has characterised his tenure.

“He sowed the seeds and laid the foundation upon which our fourth president built the expansive and elaborate infrastructure we see today in our country,” he said.

DP Ruto also said he could see Kibaki’s shadow cast on the fifth president of the nation because of the conversation about the economy that Kibaki authored.

“I can see his shadow and influence in what is going to become of the fifth President of Kenya because I see the conversation around the economy which President Kibaki was its architect,” he said.

The DP said Kibaki will not fit in paragraphs when the history of Kenya is being written because nor can he fit into chapters but would require a separate book dedicated to him.