That Lord you would be with us as we enter this season when we celebrate God Emmanuel God With Us so we invite you very specially in Jesus name amen shall we be up standing and worshiped him could you please um lead us in a song as they continue to come in thank You how Sweet a rich like me I want was lost but now I am found was but now I see let us sing together missing Grace Sweet Sound save the like Me Me I want was lost but now was BL now I see gra Let My Heart To Fear and graise my Fe is Rel how PR the grace of [Applause] the I first he amazing Gra pra How Sweet the Sun SA I was now and found what now I [Applause] see we ders stor and SNES I oh de come this grace that brought me save us and gra will live me home Amazing Grace aming gra How Sweet the s Me I want was lost but Now but now I See we’ve been there 10,000 years bright shineing us love we know bless days to sing God pra and when we first be Amen indeed Amazing Grace so I would request you to have your seats once again welcome so much to Nairobi Baptist Church and um I want to just give us a few directions for the sake of us being comfortable here for our facilities they are downstairs so if you exit through the open
Exit and turn left you will either find the LIF here I know some of us are able to use the rift or you can go down through the stairs and once you are on ground floor you turn right you turn right just the way you land on ground floor and you’ll
Find us facilities just as you go around the bend so we have facilities for the boys and girls and then the ladies and gent in that order with regard to our security because of this event we have biffed up our security a bit but it’s just good to
Be a bit cautious of your handbag and phones because we may not be knowing everyone who has come in so just requesting you to um be a bit cautious um about your belonging so that you will not be inconvenience in any way my name is Samuel Miner Pastor
Samuel Mina I have here at Nairobi Baptist Church and today we will be learning this program together with Reverend Mandi mangi on the far left he is our senior pastor here at Nairobi Baptist Church we will also be with um kirun who is at the middle there who represents
The family and also in the committee and Bona Paul odela who is is our MC and will be coming a bit later to do the tribute so on behalf of the Elders of this church and on behalf of the Pastoral team and the entire church in
General we want to say Paul Han Shir mama and the entire family and friends poana may the Lord confort you in this difficult time so right now I want to invite the praise and worship to just give us uh or lead us into a session of praise and worship thank You we can stand up on our feet As We Worship the Lord Me [Applause] Be Me come Me [Applause] See [Applause] we Yes yes Yes S Oh [Applause] Oh My m is He Somebody just clap your hands where you He is in everything Is Lord Hey [Applause] Hey he Hallelujah then sings My Song My Savior God to thee How Great Thou Art how great thou are and then s my soul my savior come to thee oh how great thou are how great th this is my soul this is my soul my saor God to how great th how
Great how great th heart BL is my soul BL is my soul my myor to oh how great th how great th BL is my soul BL my soul myor God to how great thou are how great thou are how great thou are how great our as is my soul is my soul
My to oh how great how great th how great th oh Lord my God when I’m me I know some Wonder consider all the ons thy hands are of me I see the STS I hear The Rolling Thunder I pass throughout the Universe display this sings my soul then sings my
Soul my savior come to me oh how great I how great I are how great I this is my soul is my soul my to Great how Great how Great One more J Way I need you a most gracious Lord no The Voice like th can be the fall I need you oh I need you hey fre I I need you oh BL me now my Saor I come to lift your hand and say I need you I need you oh I need you he I need you oh bless me now myi I come to thee I need thee every hour stay down here by me Temptation Lo upon when thou I need I need you I
Need you oh I need you every I I need you oh bless me now Myor I come to the Yes Lord we need you even in this a difficult time in a time of Affliction Lord we need you may your strength and your comfort and your love Lord Lord be ours right now and forever more in Jesus name we pray amen thank you so much worship team and
Just to say that this worship team comprises of majorly the friends and family of the of our dear friend but also a few from Nairobi Baptist Church just to join together even as we comfort and pray with you so again let us appreciate the worship team thank you so much you can
Have your seats you can have your seats we want to go to a session of hearing the Bible readings and so I want to invite the person doing the first reading if you’re here you can please start making your way to the front ktis Maru and our reading comes from the book
Of 2 Corinthians chapter 4 vers 16 to 18 2 Corinthians chapter 4: 16 to8 for a reading from the letter of to the Corinthians a reading of a letter of St Paul to the Corinthians therefore we do not lose heart though outwardly we are wasting away yet inwardly we are being
Renewed day by day for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outwith outweighs them all so we fix our eyes not on what is seen But on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal the word word of the
Lord thank you so much our second leing comes from The Book of John chapter 16: 22 I don’t know whether Aina kinan is in to do the second leading yes he is John chapter 16 verse 22 uh the second reading comes from The Book of John chapter 16 verse
22 therefore you now have your sorrow but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice and your joy no one will take from you thank you so much let us appreciate our two Bible readers now we go to a session of leading the eulogy and I want to
Invite kago to take us through the uro um thank you Pastor Sami good morning church um as Pastor Samia said my name is kagal and I’ll be reading Edwards yogy today the birth Edward was born at the Mata Hospital in in Nairobi on the 22nd of October 1972 to Mary Josephine and
Michael Thomas Kyan Edward’s younger sister Belinda Ki fly remembers how he always included her in his adventures ignoring their age disparity Edward would grow up to be very intentional and inclusive with whomever he interacted with a trait developed at a very young age his education Edward began his education at
St Mary’s primary school School Nairobi in 1979 on completion he joined Nairobi School patch from 1987 to 1990 and therea St Mary’s once again for his IB program of studies Edward joined the United States International University Africa us IA Nairobi campus for his undergraduate degree and after proceeded to India for further studies
Work orre loved heavy construction machinery and farming he worked work for CMC as a sales manager Paso Eastern Africa as a regional sales manager and shantui construction Machinery as a general manager before starting out on his own selling issuing renting and servicing heavy construction equipment Edward was also a keen farmer
And businessman growing mainly barley and potatoes for local and Regional markets his interests Edward loved his sport his first love in this realm was of course rugby but he also followed the UFC Football and Athletics quite intensely he was also a keen Outdoorsman who was not Avers to roughing it for the
Rhino charge overlanding and camping the salamanda games and Monopoly were board games he enjoyed he was infamously known as a thief because he never liked to lose he would change the rules mid game so as to have the best Advantage guess that was or orre also loved to socialize his magnetic
Character and presence shining through in such occasions today as we grieve together let us highlight what made Edward so special if I had to use just three words to describe or I would say loyal intentional and present I’m sure each of you could add lots more as I know you experiened
Edward in your own unique way the Lord is near to the Brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit Psalm 34:18 thank you thank you Rags uh good morning everyone um family friends rugby fraternity former colleagues um presiding Pastor mulandi um thank you very much for allowing me the honor of doing
My small bit in sending off for gray to his final resting place and Sheila and the family as well for us to be here with you for you to allow us in in this um very significant moment in your lives I am Paul odera um I’ll be just guiding you
Through the program for the next few minutes or AA well first of all the those of us who were born in the 70s gong Road Kilim Mani KES I think were one neighborhood uh so we’re from the same neighborhood was in St Mary’s so we’re lumni of saints as well and then ragby
United us at Kenya harlequins um and into the national team as well so we’ll get into the tributes uh the first tribute I will call upon a representative of the Kenya Rugby Union and a board member haret okach haret are you here yes thank you very much indeed just
To say a few words from the Kenya Rugby Union on about our fallen brother kibu morning church um I’m not going to give a tribute on beh of K you cuz my chairman is here but um I’m going to read the tribute I wrote for
Olo um I’ll get straight to it in the grand tapestry of Life some individuals Loom Larger than Life casting a warm and radiant glow on all those fortunate enough to cross their paths Edward affect fortunately known as a gray in the rugby circles was one such moment momental
Figure a gentle giant whose colossal heart knew no bounds embracing everyone in its expansive warm ol’s presence was a beacon and strength of kindness a rare combination that made him too Grand perhaps for this Earthly Rim um okay he was a man who lived with purpose and passion channeling his energy into
Uplifting the game of rugby a sport he held close to his heart today I’m a board director of the Kenya Rugby Union and I owe a great uh deal of my journey toone he saw potential in me when I couldn’t even see it in myself and he believed
That I could bring about positive change in the game we both loved dearly he was more than a relative he was my friend mentor and stous supporter he campaigned tirelessly by my side particularly with the Kenya Cup teams believing in my vision until the very end and when victory was ours he
Stood by me celebrating our shared Triumph we with joy and pride Olo is a man of principle salute valant respect and Leadership he always urged me to listen to learn and to lead in accordance with our Chairman’s Vision but he also emphasized the importance of staying true to myself
He told me put the game first he would say let’s bring back Rugby’s lost Glory his his wisdom was my Guiding Light his advice my constant comp companion but but but now the phone calls filled with advice strategy and laughter have ceased this the silence is deafening the loss immeasurable yet in
This moment of profound sorrow I found strength in the memories we shared and the lessons he taught me Al you are truly too big for this world but the Legacy you leave behind is even grander I promise to carry your wisdom with me to stay true to the game and to make you
Proud wherever you may be your memory will live on in the hearts of all those you touched as a reminder of the gentle giant who taught us a true meaning of strength kindness and unwavering support rest rest in peace you will dearly be missed but never forgotten thank you
Thank you very much um Harriet indeed that is both a tribute from the Kenya ragby Union and a personal tribute as well Kenya harlequins is a club that transcends many facets of life in Kenya from the rugby itself to the social life um and orre was not only just a member
Of quein but a legend of the club for what he achieved both on and off the field the gentleman who’s coming to give a tribute for Kenya harlequins is someone orre and I we all wanted to be like him or suffice he was a Cherian
Which was okay but he did both PCH and changes uh but he was probably one of the most talented versatile players that the country has seen so I’d like to call on Kenneth M thimba to give a tribute on behalf of Kenya alquin k good morning
Church uh thank you Paul for your kind words I wish you said that when I was coaching you uh and I would hope that orre would have said the same uh but I stand here on behalf of of Kenya the Kenya harleen family and this is a
Tribute for Queen and Country um I’m sure you’ll see quite a number of us uh Dressed in what we call our number ones um and that is a A fitting tribute to our dearly departed this is a story written by one of our own and uh a very close friend
And um teammate of G both in St Mary’s uh and at Harley quins and at the Kenya team but uh for the rugby people around here you will understand what I mean when I say fire in the Rock I saw Kiki oonka here and Roger okena um that triumverate was one of the
Most deadly and most feared uh people um on the rugby pitch um I actually remember once um when uh orre had bed me from the back while he was coming into the rack and I got concussed and I wondered are these guys do these guys
Want to kill me and I play with them anyway it’s not every day that a sportsman gets uh to sing his own song uh but Edward was or repeated over and over to the tune of O oay o o oh G oh gay yeah um a song made popular uh at
The Mexico World Cup but uh is Immortal in our minds and hearts at Kenya harleyquin Kyan mispronounced uh the word orre when reading a passage at an evening assembly at Nasha house those of you who are in Nairobi School uh paulod and a couple of you you here uh new
Nasha house um and like all disliked um nicknames orre stuck by fourth form um orre was a regular in the first 15 coached by many of you who remember the late Frank gya a long serving coach for the patch machine but times had surely changed 1990 was um
The year the 844 system completed sort of a a a complete High School cycle leap frogging kinani in and his year mates from third in line from form six form five form four to seniority bigger than most um Edward made typical runs carrying the smooth oversized dragby ball in one hand as he
Broke tackles playing number eight the whole school loved him hurly rendering or gra OD to the opposition as a warning to what was going to come he left Nairobi school sadly uh and went back to St Mary’s Paul Oda and co uh for his International Balor in
1991 in his two years there St Marys won the Prescott cup for the first time and uh retained the trophy partly inspired by Edward’s presence St Mary’s uh winds well I don’t think they win but um they win a fuel long-standing argument uh because the school had a level
Students uh but were largely silent on the training Advantage boarding schools had to offer while in IB uh Edward joined Kenya harlequins where coach uh Harmon Sando cooked uh Edward back into the scrum and out of his onehanded uh carry K had moonlighted back at St
Mary’s um many of us remember uh his broken leg in 1993 um a terrible accident um and he took about 2 years to discover and after a further Hiatus in India to complete his studies he uh that he had started in usiu kinyan returned to Kenya harleyquin in
1998 street smart and a straight talker kinan would be in instinctively called out by referees when trouble started I can see Peter U and other trouble makers here um and all refs would call out and they say where are you number eight um and many a time he would even tap the
Referee on the shoulder and say hey um I’m actually here so the refs would be shocked that oh okay the people we thought that that would cause trouble are not causing trouble in sharp contrast to his strongman reputation on the field Edward retreated into quiet peace in everyday life he knew when to
Listen said uh Paul morunga Pablo who had played along him in all his rugby life especially in Nairobi school and also went to lead family life was a k was a key pillar to kinyan he married Sheila in September 2004 and Ayana was born in February 2006 during his playing career uh Edward
Played for the Kenya 15s at least 15 times between 2000 and 2006 representing Kenya against Uganda Madagascar Cameroon Zimbabwe Morocco Tunisia and even the southern Spears from South Africa a testament to his long career uh and to the Kenya rugby Union’s efforts to put Kenya rugby back
On the map his ability to connect with people progressed him to coaching Kenya Harley quins to its most successful run uh between 2008 and 2012 many of us remember um the unbeaten and the the the unbeaten streak for three years and backto back Kenya cup uh wins and at the
Same time he eared a national coaching role alongside Dr Michael Tango highlighted by the famous 2310 win over Zimbabwe for the first time in 2010 no but no I don’t think was it was 2010 yeah okay in 2012 kinani was uh elected chairman of Kenya harleyquin in one of
The most best attended annual General meetings for many many years uh suffice to say uh it was a stormy one um where we also discovered that our Kenya harleyquin Constitution only allowed white Caucasian males who resided in and around Nairobi to vote uh at that point ladies were introduced to vote which
Also brought a constitutional problem um but uh it was a very very heated uh election which we successfully won with a G um and that more or less kept uh very well matured career and uh he led the club to Great Heights or it seems like it all just happened
Yesterday and truly it is for many of us rest easy or gay we continue singing o gay o gay o gay o gay oh gay oh gay dedication from John kagi special thanks to people who contributed to this Michael Kwo Thomas too dundo Paul Yodi Paul odera Daniel kto Misha okuto Hammon
Sando Roger aenna Paul Pablo murunga Johnny konzo Jabet chono and uh Edward’s farewell team at Queens uh led by Samy Moriah thank you and rest is your G KT thank you very much indeed before I invite our next tributes I’d kindly ask all members of the rugby fraternity
Queens Kenya clubs Mamba Impala to please stand up so that we can just see how far gay reached so if you could kindly stand where you are and we see the rugby fraternity who’ve come to say farewell to Great Kenya Rugby Union thank you very much indeed you may be
Seated but that is the Brotherhood of the game of rugby once the game is over and you’ve been in combat against an opponent you have H mutual respect uh for each other and an affection that transcends just the pitch uh now as people have mentioned orre was a
Leader and when you’re his friend you always wanted to please him on one occasion after we had uh completed training at quins we had uh moments of reflection on how the session went and the game that was coming up and we found ourselves orre and I um at a chip shop
Um near jangi Gardens and orre proceeded to buy me 18 sausages and um um now I am not endowed with the physical stature of VRE but since I wanted to impress him I accepted that I could eat the 18 sausages and uh I did my best and after
Sausage number 18 um if some of you are familiar with uh set book maso after completing those 18 sausages had two days of uh maso that’s all I’ll say so I’ll invite three gentlemen who are going to give a tribute um as friends I’ll invite Sami
Murah kiruna and Edgar Alma Obama did I get that right yes kibon on behalf of friends good morning church uh I don’t have my reading glasses so I’ll let kiragu read my tribute but I’d like to give a story my daughter once asked me why my friends don’t have normal
Names Uncle Rags who is here Uncle KT Uncle ory and the uncle toti uncle Stone so I was like I I’ll it’s a long story I’ll tell you one day when he had grown up a few weeks ago she asked me you’ve never given me the reason why
Maybe next time I see her I’ll give her the long story thank you Sami so I’ll be reading some his tribute to orre my main man it would take me Pages upon pages to write my story of or so I must force myself to be succinct I met orre when he
Was at St Mary in 1991 I was one of the people tasked with picking him to come train at Queens we hit it off immediately and he became my right-and man my best truest and most loyal friend friend over the years he was my daughter Amy’s Godfather
I was his best man he came to me for advice I went to him for advice we had such Grand plans for the future but life has a way of throwing a c ball at you suffice to say the world just isn’t the same without him yet I’m
Entirely grateful for all the hours days and years we share together I shall miss everything about his company especially his dry D jokes whichard Us in tears Sheila and Ayana you are my family and I’ll always be there for you we honor and cherish your memory o gay my
Beloved friend may your spirit live on forever in our hearts and our souls you may be physically gone but you can never be forgotten rest in perfect peace my main man from Sami Mariah thank thank you good morning church to Mom Sheila Ayana and Belinda Po
And I want to do something for grace shall We rise and uh just have a round of applause for the gentleman he was [Applause] thank you you can sit Bo so it’s tough um orre is my friend and uh true friend was my big brother
Um he taught me so many things and uh he was still doing business together and uh the dayre passed on I was with him and uh bo orre was very happy that uh Tuesday morning we had constant communication since morning and uh I told him we can meet from 11:30 and
Uh indeed a few minutes to midday uh orre came where I was at oy and uh he said n can we have lunch and then when you’re going for your meeting in the afternoon me I’m having a school run and uh orre was dedicated every day dropping Ayana and uh picking
Ayana which something I was feeling very good as a father and he loved Diana so much so we were waiting for lunch and uh I was with a for almost 1 hour 40 minutes and uh orre loved chapati so work a nice wet fry and then
He told me N I hope there’s no ugali I said yes we’re going to do chapati then he said standard that was orre so unfortunately uh he never had that lunch and uh I was seated opposite Edward so Edward just told me and uh that was his last words so we
Tried uh our best we when he fell he didn’t fall down when I saw him going down I grabbed him so I thought probably he’s fainting so we removed his shoes and uh and B we wanted because he had put on a t-shirt so but after a few seconds I noticed he
Was struggling to breathe then uh Boon had gone for Essa so I requested friends who were close to me orre was very heavy six people people we struggled to put or in my car but at the hospital me and Boon and one gentleman we carried or to the Casual to
Bed and it’s it’s amazing that is God CU I don’t know where that strength came from and uh I remember when we were driving to the hospital Bo was talking to in Doo that you will make it be strong we’ve already arrived at the hospital but uh it was never to be and
Uh yeah thank [Applause] you thank you very much uh friends and thank you Obama it is uh now the time to invite uh a representative of the matu family to come and give their tribute to kibu thank you uh to Mama Mary kinani to to Sheila kinani the spouse of Edward to Ayana
Kinani the Beloved daughter of Kyan of Edward kinani h family members who are here friends my name is uh Johnson matu and I am a first cousin to Sheila and I stand here on behalf of the M family Sheila the spouse of Edward is a daughter of the late Brigadier Lucas
Matu who was a former deputy Army commander of the Armed Forces and the late Unice warig matu who helded from gorano Mader in Neri County and with us here we have Sheila’s Brothers we have Peter Dixon Andrew and Isaac we have Uncle Charles matu who is here and his wife
Monique we have many cousins who have attended here uh we have nephews nieces and many other relatives who have come uh to be with us with because of what has happened the entire matu family extends our deepest condolences to Sheila to Ayana to Mary kinan the mother of Edward to Belinda
Who is the sister to uh Edward and to the entire kinani family for the loss of The Departed husband the father son and a loving brother death indeed has you know yet robbed us of a great one and in the family and it is indeed looking very
Unstoppable I lost my wife just a year ago and a mother-in-law just a five five months ago for us we shall definitely miss uh Edward so much because he was a good brother to us from experience Edward was a faithful a very dependable and very loving husband to our sister
Sheila he had a great sense of humor the ability actually to listen and a sense of style qualities that actually endeared him to us as a family and he fondly loved his daughter Ayana in equal measure for us orre as they used to call him we fondly we used to fondly call him
It is hard to actually fathom that we will not he will not be here with us anymore orre came into our lives many years ago around 27 years or so as a great friend of our sister Sheila the only daughter in the late brigadiers family they stayed as friends for a long
While before they got married as they quoted our sister never left Edward behind when attending to our family functions and gatherings and I would jokingly ask her whether the guy Edward was a handbag which he was never left behind but little did I know that he would turn out to be a
Husband all along we thought they were just good friends until Edward showed up one Saturday afternoon with a compliment of some heavily built tall and a bit mean looking guys proclaiming that he wanted Sheila’s hand in marriage and because of the friendship and the love he had for which he had showered our
Sister we were quite easy on him and accepted with some little persuation after a few meetings with our parents we came to learn later that Edward’s friends who were mean looking at that time were his peers in the rug world and they were actually very friendly uh very caring and actually gentle
Giants but of course you would not want to be the on their wrong side so that small intimidation made us you know come down a little bit and Edward had an easy time during theary negotiations never during the 27 years that we knew Edward as a friend and a brother-in-law my sister’s friend
Husband and that to aana did we hear or witness my sister or our sister in distress and did and never did she come home and say I have left that man no it never happened because he was quite humble he was patient and indeed a wise man and of course he loved Sheila
Dearly the love that Edward and Sheila had was true and actually very deep it is love that cemented their marriage bonds love that broke barriers love that transcended Regional Community tribal stereotyping and brought us all together as brothers and sisters it was love that did not have any boundaries Sheila Edward and Edward
Showed the way for some in our family to look far and wide for love my daughter actually faith is married a few kilometers away from G and others in the family are married in that area and we believe love conquers everything when when in love mountains and valleys are not a
Challenge neither the weather it doesn’t matter how cold it is or how hot it is out there but love will go through that Edward was truly a gentle giant who fought his fights on the rugby pitch we admired and we were very proud of his achievements in Rugby World where
He rose to National Fame and we believe is amongest The Unsung the uncelebrated national heroes and it is a high time that perhaps the government uh looked at this matter very carefully and perhaps commend him even post humously and even for those who have been there before him because really he put this
Country in the world map and many of the people who are playing rugby have done that we have cheered them in the TVs uh we sit there waiting for them to to win and they have won many many uh games but but we have not had much recognition of this particular
Area and they we call upon the government to look at this and do the need for some of us interacted with Edward in the construction industry where he was involved involved in the sale and marketing of construction equipments for Brands such as caterpillar Chinese shantou shantou and xmg
Equipments and he was actually an instituted businessman I also work in the construction industry and uh I knew what he was doing and he helped the construction industry uh to achieve what has been achieved so far in his own little way to us all of us we were not an in-law but
Edward was actually a great brother to us he was a very loving and supportive to us a humble Man by all means we respected him and cherished him as a brother he participated in most if not all the M family gathering and truly became part of us we value him in
Life and we will continue valuing him even in death we shall continue taking care of your family of his family including his mom who has always been part of us so rest in peace dear brother in a matter of time as determined by the Almighty we shall join you and continue from
There love always thank you thank you very much engineer here indeed it is uh a big part of our African kinship that marriage brings together not to individuals but Clans and those Clans once they come in and then uh that kinship is actually uh forever so
Engineer well spoken and it is good to hear uh that love is breaking down many of the stereotypes in our country I’d not like to invite agre hasala to come and give his tribute agre or before agre comes as he comes I’m just come up um if you’ve
Parked outside the precincts of the sanctuary I think you may uh have challenges with our Nairobi County government so star 647 HH I think is the number you can use to pay for your parking so please if you did park outside the precin uh please do pay for
Parking to avoid having your car to thank you thank you agree good morning church I will be reading my tribute to Uncle orre on behalf of my dad sir Edward or Olo madong andash the remixed version of the nickname of G given to you by Mom Mary and Mom FL I
Grabbed my pen after a struggle it’s really hard you are not only my brother but also my friend from the rides to school I was dropped off at Lovington as you went to St Mary’s to to hanging out with the big boys at the house from you and Hudson introducing me
To rugby at a young age to telling me you to telling you about my first game and first try from you introducing me to Queens playing to handling playing to now handling to the brand to date is there it is there that I got the nickname of grim
Doo there is so much I can say you did a lot for me you mean a lot to me I would reach out to you anytime and you always came through I am glad I spent a lot of time with you the laughs the charts the visits the mentorship you gave more than
You received a rare one you were as I drop my pen I say bro you are a gift to me one that will always be treasured forever rest e Edward thank you and we’ll take a very short break with the praise and worship team we’ll sing us a song and then we’ll come
Back and continue the tributes after that just a few minutes quick stretch break and then we can be back as we listen to the praise and worship team thank you can stand up N In See Down In Me My My Me [Applause] Now Need Now Yes Know Now come [Applause] Super yes yes [Applause] [Applause] Now Now [Applause] now now God [Applause] Somebody Wonderful praise and worship him thank you very much that saring him is befitting of orre stach for sure please be seated thank you um uh just to clarify like the Kenya Revenue Authority on Twitter that if if your car is parked on the road so if you’re parked in here
I think you’re safe so if your car is parked on the road I think I caused a mass Exodus um of people who’ve come to pay the respect to a and support the family here as well so if you know anyone who’s just gone outside in a
Panic please do ask them to come back in as we continue with our service today so as I said with our African Community Spirit which is really powerful across the continent the clan and The Wider families are always uh great supporters of whatever event is happening in the
Home so I’d now like to invite engineer aich who is going to give a tribute on behalf of the wider Kenyan family engineer k kibu uh good morning church to the family starting with my Aunt Mary kenani who is the mother to Olo to the spouse Sheila and their daughter
Ay of course to the ragby fraternity whom their lives were touched in many ways by the Giant friends relatives and everyone who is here good morning once again my name is moris a and because as I was called the podium was introduced as a engineer I want to give a small
Connection uh where I’m standing today this building in sometimes in early 2000 when it was a sight um I interacted with it as a young engineer and I want to assure you where you are seated is safe if you didn’t know you’re actually in the air you are not on the ground but
It’s because the building is strong but I’m not as strong as the building today because I’ve been weakened by what has happened I’m standing here on behalf of first our place those who are coming from Saka because some years back when a request for proposal was sent to my Aunt
Mary and she accepted that proposal she offered to give our services to the people of game and game were blessed with a baby boy a son who again today has made us to be here Edward Olo that’s a connection how I’m standing here so Aunt Mary is from a place called
Bondo and of course she transferred her services to game and of course a day after tomorrow we are supposed to be in game to rest or put our uh bef Fallen brother to rest sometimes it’s not easy to find a Podium like this to stand on because you
Wondering what to say in the many years you’ve attracted together and I want to say three things number one in a family there are those who will come and go and noticed there are those who will come and go and you have some little notice but there also those will come and go
And when they go you realize that is not easy that’s where this gentleman who is here lying here belongs he touched many lives me as a person who is a cousin you know him he grew in Nairobi while I grew up somewhere H in Bondo and of course later I also
Had to join Nairobi so we used to hear him because we used to call my aunt mamao and when I used to hear was playing rugby and knowing how rugby is I used to tremble so when I met him at one point I was not sure whether he also play with
Me or he’ll just H leave me with in peace and I want to assure you all those things were just in the head the rugby people are very gentle outside the beach for those who know them it’s a game that many people love and uh for your information the first time I ever
Attended one match I ended up doing many things outside the field than watching the match itself I don’t know why that that why that’s it’s loved so much but of course for the lovers of the or the rugby game you know why I’ve given you my story secondly I want to say
Here that when someone has been with us and uh gone to be the Lord we can only pray that may the Lord keep them in peace until we meet them because all of us are in that Journey for this it’s extremely difficult but sometimes you pray and
That’s why I think church is very important that when we come to church we able to be comforted to be told and to be convinced it’s us to believe that it is true that when our time also come because we don’t know when our time will come we’ll join
Him as you’ve been told with previous speaker who spoke engineer johnon matu here that interacted with Edward many times in the construction sector I also want to indicate because I also belong to that sector and I play a key role at National Construction Authority and one time because I’ve not been there
Forever but when he now knew that I was working there one time he visited me in my office and told me that uh you know the only way we can do things together is by working with the networks that you have in your register as you know National Construction Authority
Registers contractors and those contractors are business people in the construction industry I told him I’ll see what to do but I told him not many contractors own equipment they actually higher then he told me that’s the space he plays in so once in a while we kept
Interacting to see how we can get opportunity to um engage with them in business so he was an astute businessman to that extent as far as that interaction went lastly is to say po to okwa the people of Saka okwa means a neew because if Mary was not born in Bondo
Although will not have been born in game so the Saka people are here first of all to say po to the loss of their nephew okwa and of course to the game people for the loss of their son and of course to Sheila and the daughter and of course
All the larger family to the loss of a husband a father a son-in-law and a friend whichever role he played in your life as I Retreat to sit back it is my prayer that find a place in your heart to continue praying for this family the
Family is still very young they have a lot of family needs that the whole ol has left that whole will never be filled but with your support and prayer you can do something to lessen the burden uh and the weight to make them feel that at least they still feel
Supported with those few remarks I want to ask God the almighty father to give us strength comfort and peace May um heart rest in peace thank you engineer K and I’m glad to see that there are still engineers in Kenya who will gladly tell you which work
They’ve done as you’ve told us about this Sanctuary so that we know it’s solid when when you watch siblings uh it is not always that older siblings particularly Brothers uh allow their younger siblings to play with them from a young age usually it’s around adolescence when it’s uncool to be uh
Around um a little upstat who’s following you everywhere but Alo was very close with his younger sister and when you heard someone saying a tribute that she was included in all the games that he played it is very difficult when you’re a sporting male and there’s a
Young female around for you to even make them feel that they’re part of the game because you have to dapen down your skill levels so that they feel part of it but that is orre uh and that was the relationship he had with his sister so
Our next tribute is going to be from Belinda Kyan or’s sister I think there’s a someone reading on her behalf but she’s here kib Belinda good morning church my apologies I I sort of arrived here about 3 3 in the morning so bear with me um Edward and I had a special
Bond as I said in my tribute um he was someone to lean on he was someone to count on and someone to tell on that happened a lot he’s the length through which I see my childhood an amazing human being and life without him will never be the
Same the love of my brother is like no other the bond between us remains forever we are banded together under pack code we shared parents home pet celebrations catastrophes secrets and the threads of our experience became so interwoven that we we are linked I can never be utterly alone he’s my DNA he’s
Me and I am him the greatest gift our parents gave us was each other it is in difficult times that we need to reflect on what God has given us Edward as I said was an amazing human being his love for mom made me laugh so much just the other
Week when I was here visiting probably in August um we were stepping out um as a family and uh Edward noticed Mom’s collar and started fixing it for her like she would do for him as a child it’s probably probably in that same week that we were having a
Discussion and Mom referred to him as mangu and me being the baby I was looking at them what is going on here um Mom it will be well Alo is now with Dad Edward recently told me how happy he was um we had a a discussion before I
Left in September to go back to the States and we were planning to go out that night just the two of us um instead Edward was invited to Drew’s place for samyama which he couldn’t resist and so that’s where we headed and during that drive we
Had it was a short drive but we had some very deep conversations um one of the things he was really feeling blessed and happy about he said he had married his best friend and they had a beautiful gift in Ayan Ayan dad loves you immensely and I know he’s watching over
You even though it’s just from a different place I will miss you Edward thank [Applause] you thank you Belinda in the in the L Community a stereotypical way of looking at men from that Community is that they love Roomba and they have panach and they have style and
Or whether he was in smart casuals or in a suit or even in kit had a lot of style and that style in the low Community is attributed to the mothers because they are the ones who train these men to dress or to make sure that they’re looking as smart as they
Are it is now time for me to call on Mama Mary Kenan to come and give her tribute mama good morning church God is good in all the time I stand before you this morning with a very heavy heart I’m really down down because of the loss of my beloved
Son you know the love between Mom and their children is so intense but above all he was my friend we shared a lot he loved me and I loved him a lot a young man lying there was a real gentleman he was humble honest and he
Was always there for me and his friends too he is one child that I never had an opportunity to even pinch that oh he was obedient very obedient that fiful Tuesday was a sad occasion we used to talk almost daily I think almost every day and normally it was around 1:30 2:
P.m. so on that day I was SE reading newspapers and I thought I would call him exactly at around 1:30 and uh I had a meeting with somebody at 4 so I decided to postpone it it’s only now that I realized maybe if I did it at that time he would have
Not answered my call because he was gone maybe at that time I just came to realize later so the news that came was that he was unwell and I decided to come to Kum to Nairobi R they booked for me a ticket and they flew in around the
Six I knew that I was coming at least to find him sick or will be able to talk or he’ll be able to see me and I look at him too that never happened I came I went to the hospital I found him there to me I
Thought he was still alive because he was kind of smiling only Shea who told me mom is gone then I realized what was happening it’s a big loss for me very big loss Edward was there for me through thick and thin he knew me very well when
I was low he would call me and say mom what’s happening why are you not the same and we shared a lot it’s unfortunate that he has gone at this time but I believe that he has gone to a better place we are all travelers in this world if it was
Possible to ask God who should go first I would have said yes please take me and let Edward leave but that is not the case do it I’m happy because I can see all his friends around us and whenever I’m low I only see them around Sheila he brought Sheila into her
Home and she’s been wonderful to me she is my best daughter now that Edward is gone I have Sheila I have Belinda and ay is there for me when I look at them they give me strength that I know that there’s something there for me so I believe that God will take care
Of us I only ask you all please pray for us it’s not easy but we have to accept that death is inevitable rest in peace my [Applause] son thank you m Edward um very touching indeed so before I call on our last two tributes uh from from Ayana and Sheila there is a
Presentation to be made to the immediate family by the Kenya Rugby Union I’d like to invite the chairman of the Kenya Rugby Union Sasha mutai to please come up um don’t know they want to do it here or you just want to do it where they’re seated up here okay Sasha Kibu thank you very much Polo good morning church uh God is good all the time um I’ll read just a tribute from the Kenya R and I’ll say a few words on my own behalf and to the family uh I want to give express our deepest
Condolences and uh it’s it’s hard I got this news last week when I was in Paris from harat just called me and uh I was in shock I played against orre in the ’90s when um Min Machin were big rivals of Kenya harlequins and they’re all here they
Know so let me just say this words I say something after we stand United with the entire rugby Community as we grieve the loss of former Kenya International forward Edward Kenyan who passed away on Tuesday October 24th 2023 known affectionately as orre within the rugby circles he was a Shining Light
Of the sport orre not only secured the Kenya cup with Kenya hle quens as both a player and a coach but also served as a club’s chairman during the 2012 2013 season his contributions extended Beyond domestic accolades he was an integral part of the Kenya simbas coaching staff that led
Kenya simbas to multiple elgon cup triumphs and the 2011 Africa Cup title under the guidance of tank oo on the Rugby field orre was a towering presence and a Relentless competitor yet off the field he exuded a gentle and Larger than Life personality that left an indelible
Mark on those he encountered his absence leaves a void that cannot words cannot adequately fill our deepest sympathies go out to his family and we offer our heartfelt prayers for strength during this challenging period May the Almighty God grant his soul an eternal peace I had the pleasure of playing against orre
In the ’90s as I said with Min machine he had a very devastating 8man pickup I remember one time fondly um the five yard there was a scrum down we were defense I was flanking and uh I knew I could not you know push him back so I
Used his weight against me but uh so he didn’t score that try but uh Harley quins won he was a great leader and you could see as a player as a coach and also in management he’s a real rugby man and as you can all
Hear you know he was a happy man I was taught in school by my teacher in Strathmore next door to our Rivals one of the founders of Strathmore School he said the end of life is a contemplation of Truth and beauty and then he asked us
Uh what is that so basically I said it is happiness and God and he said that’s correct so happiness is the end you know and he was a happy man and we know and we can see um God is in our lives um so it’s not for us to question
But he has done his part and we salute him and we thank you Mom for giving us uh or for those years he served this country and I shall take that message to government that was talked by engor matu I’m also in that industry and we shall make sure that something happens because
Our fallen heroes Heroes need to be honored while they’re alive so orre uh gentle giant rest in Eternal peace I have a shot here J to be presented to the family and it’s in number four so he was there’s eight and four so back row and also second row so
Rest in peace my [Applause] friend thank you Sasha sh been presented there thank you so the next tributes will be from Ayana and then Sheila so it’s Ayana first the love between a father and daughter is very special um I know most parents say they love all the children equally and
Everything is spread out but sometimes even when you see a dad and when you sawre with with his daughter you could tell the affection was a lot deeper than just what you see so I’d like to invite Ayana Kyan to come and give a tribute to her father Ayana
Kibu I could say a lot more about my dad but I’d be here for hours so I’m going to say something short but meaningful my dad was my everything I always had a special connection with him and that’s something I’m going to miss deeply some could say me and him were
Like twins we had the same facial expressions Same Love and same dry jokes my dad always had Big Dreams for me and always supported me in any decision I made we both had a love for Sports and if anything he’s the reason I play sports till this day and will be the
Reason I continue to play words cannot express the love I have for him I’ll miss him forever he always had a soft sport for me and to some extent I used it to my advantage his advice led me down the right path and he never failed me we had
So many plans for our future especially my 18th birthday coming up he had said plans for me in terms of my education and career the universities in mind and all the courses I wanted to do but he never forced me into anything I didn’t want to
Do as I stand here today I can tell you that everything and anything he had planned for me will be put into play at my best ability I’m going to miss fighting over chapati with him um I’m going to miss fighting over chapati with him and we’ll s this weird thing where
We’d race to the kitchen the minute my mom finished baking her cake and we’d always fight for the edge piece cuz to him it always had the most flavor um I loved my dad and I’ll always love him rest in peace thank [Applause] you thank you Ayana engineer matu mentioned a long
Friendship between Sheila and orre we were all there or thereabouts nakuru ten aide Driftwood um chrisy sens and all that goes with rugby and and the social life around uh our lives and it was a really good friendship and that friendship led into marriage and I now I’d like to invite uh Sheila
Kinyan uh or’s best friend to come and give her tribute [Applause] good afternoon Church um just for the record I do have very many friends but I’ve given them strict instructions not to come up here because that will make me very weak cuz I have a big task and
Uh um I have to be strong so if they come here they’ll really make me feel yeah uh firstly I want to thank everyone here for coming I’m absolutely touched um um by all the support that I’ve gotten this week and um I just want to thank you
All my tribute to Edward would take a long time but I’ve tried my level best to sum it up so here goes dear Edward our story my love my absolute best friend in the whole wide world my support my heart my other half my everything I can’t believe I have to
Write this letter to you you’ve always said that you would never Bury Me So no matter what I told you about how I wanted my funeral to be like you would respond that you would not do you wouldn’t be there to do it so here I am taking you to your final resting
Place the hardest thing I have to ever do in my entire existence death has knocked on my door many times before but this knock was so loud that it has shocked The Living Daylights out of me firstly I want to thank you from the bottom of your heart of my heart for
Loving me if there’s one thing that I know is that you love Diana and I with everything you had never once did you shy away from letting us know just how much you loved us like when I would get sms’s from you first thing in the morning telling me
Just how much you loved me and that you always will and it’s a true story I think in the middle of the night when he had sleepless nights he would write to me and so when I woke up I’d find a message from him telling me how much he
Loved me I’ll treasure those messages from you and I’ll never ever cast a single doubt in my eye my mind we celebrate you Edward Olo quenyan oh how much you loved me for those who knew Edward and I I always drove him around even on our trips to the farm long
Distance wherever we’re going firstly I did it because his driving drove me crazy but secondly and most important he knew how much I loved driving I’ve always loved driving my brothers taught me how to drive when I was very young so driving for me was very therapeutic so he was always my happy
Passenger and DJ and he didn’t care one single bit what people thought about the fact that his wife always drove him around thanks for that one of your L Love Languages I also love the way you would always make sure that you would tell Ayana every night or morning that you
Loved her and if she Dare Forget To Say Goodbye in the morning and we’d be in the car and he’d call and say Ayana you didn’t say you goodbye why didn’t you say goodbye and she be like sorry sorry sorry Dad I was in a hurry I
Was in a hurry but he’ say okay I just want to want to tell you I love you and that you should have a good day ay was your heart so everything you did was for her you had great plans for her you promised her the world the most
Extravagant things so extravagant that I often thought they were just too much but I promise I will do my best to fulfill your promises to her thanks for being the most supportive father to her for being ever present in her life you are always the only dad among the moms
Who are here um watching her matches and cheering her on from the sidelines ever since Primary School it was always you giving her so many pointers from the sidelines or if it was hockey he and Ayan plays goalie so she he would stand at the back of the go
Posts and telling her what to do and where to go and then I have to remind him that he was not the coach of this team there was other coaches I think one of the coaches is here and um she would he would stand on the sideline yelling for her and cheering for
Her she hosted a rugby tournament this year in school which I must say was probably one of his most successful moments you even got tall to come through as your guest of honor and you gave the players of braan such good advice I saw the coaching you come out
Ayna knew that she could always count on you she always knew that she would you’d never say no to her and yes Ayana you took advantage of that um it would drive me crazy but they had their own thing going you always wanted to know what she was up to one
Thing I know for sure as you look down on us from above is that you were a fantastic dad to her you guys always had your side jokes about me you always laughed about me personally I think it was their greatest hobby jokes about mom what can I say about the partner
You’ve been to me for 20 plus 28 plus years thanks jodo for pushing us together we were to celebrate our 20th marriage anniversary next year in September I know what you wanted to do so I’ll still have to celebrate the those years you have given me the best
Years of my life we have gone through valleys we’ve climbed over mountains and swam in the deepest oceans together and in everything you never let me go not once no matter what happened we got through it together what I loved most about you my love was How Deeply you loved you loved
Mom so much and how can one not love a man who loves his mother so well and man how you loved her I promise to love her double and watch over her and take care of her no matter what I also know the plans you had for her and I promise that
You will not that we will stand and fulfill those plans no one shall block us mom the Bible States in Ruth 1167 where you go mom I shall go and where you stay I will stay your people will be my people and your God my
God where you die I will die and where I shall be buried and there I shall be buried as for Belinda your sister you would get so pissed off at her but in the same sentence you would say how much you loved her you her big
Brother and her twin at the same time you spoke and chatted till the wee hours of the night and when you could not sleep she was the one you would chat to Sis thanks for loving Edward spoiling him with the best sneakers because you knew his love for sneakers I’ll always
Be here for you and I love you to the very end Edward my love for you can never your love for me can never be measured I’ve really tried to express my love and my feelings but I’m still defeated I could not seem to get enough words to
Write that would convey the full scope of this love so this tribute is but a scratch on the surface of the universe of love that I have for you it may not come out as clearly as I want it to but my heart has you it is
Full you you have never left me unexpectedly you have left me unexpectedly never in my wildest dreams did I see this coming we had so many plans how I will do it alone I don’t really know there’s so many things that I’ll miss about you but most of all our
Trips to the farm where your support was unwavering you supported me in everything I did and wanted to do from my many family events to hanging out with my girlfriends even if you were the only guy you would always say where I am is where you where I’m
Comfortable Edward all I can say is thank you thank you for asking me to marry you the journey has been totally awesome thank you for being a fantastic husband and for loving Ayan so truly you are one you are her one and only love you showed her how to love and be loved
You asked her recently ay how much how much do you think I love your mom and she said and she said I know that you love her a lot you always tell me mommy is your best friend to which you replied a lot is too little and yes she is my
Best friend and I wouldn’t have it any other way so thank you for that I can go on and on but I’ll finish with this my world will never ever ever be the same without you my heart is broken I didn’t know this is how broken hearts feel I’m
Shattered but I promise you this all that we have spoken about will come to pass your dreams were big but I’ll do my best to fulfill every single one of them you will remain in my heart for eternity you will always be my Edward I love you
More than ever than than more than ever you’ll know uh I had a conversation with Edward this morning because I needed him to Give Me A Sign to be strong I didn’t want to disappoint him and uh not be able to read this tribute in honor of
Him I’m a soldier’s daughter and I will Soldier on to take care of Ayana she’s my heart as well and I’ll do it thank you [Applause] thank you well done Sheila that truly Honors orre that that’s what rugby is about courage and you you see what task
Is ahead of you and you go on with it so Sheila thank you for that that was not easy so before we move on to getting a word from um the Bible and a sermon from pastor mulandi we have two songs there is a song by Eric wanina and
Then there’ll be Susan orombo as well so that’s um have you worked out the order or I think that’s the order they’ll come and present their songs in once we’re done with that we’ll have a word from the Bible and then Pastor mulandi um is
Just going to share a few words with us as well so Eric ah there is Eric um when I was in first form Eric was a very serious uh black TI or prefect at St Mary’s and he wanted to send me home because I had the
Wrong socks on and we argued for half an hour on the color of the socks um and Eric W Eric kibo check check good afternoon Church you know uh KT you brought up uh the old St Mary’s patch rivalry and I wasn’t going to talk about it but you started it
First um patch would always complain about the age difference we had going into IB but everyone knew that patch had 19 year olds in form one but we don’t talk about that in uh polite spaces um um orre rejoined St Mary’s in IB and uh I remember he showed up one
Day on the it was the first time we’re playing hockey and I think he came in like halftime and he scored three goals um no hockey was hockey um he had this amazing ability in hockey as well and I think maybe Ayan referenced the the the AY being a goalkeeper that’s
Probably also comes from there as well and like we were saying on one of our Saints groups the other day we wouldn’t have won the Prescott had it not been for forre coming back and um so these songs that I’m going to sing um Sheila and Ayana and Mom and Belinda
Have brought me great comfort at times and I hope they’ll bring you comfort as Well my Oh and peace like rever attend my way when Sorrows like SE bows rooll whatever my Lord thou H has called me to say it is well it Is Well with My Soul in now head now Don’t Dream It’s Over Now head Now The World Keeps rushing in oh they come they come to build a wall between us we know that they can win oh Lord hates the day that my friend a shall be sight the clouds will be rolled back as a
Scroll the cloud shall ReSound and my lordy will appear but even so it is well with My Soul it it Is Well with My Soul It is Well it Is Well with My Soul It is Well it Is Well with My Soul [Applause] trust Eric weina to come and do such a beautiful
Song on the day that I can see him and the day that I can’t take a selfie with him my short journey to fame is over let’s appreciate what [Applause] Eric Eric I I don’t know where you are but I’m going to imagine that you’re to my right you
Are a treasure in this nation I don’t know if you have an HSC or an ogw the only institution that I’m a fat cut in all PS intended is this one and so Eric Nairobi Baptist church honors you and may the Lord bless you in excess of your sacrifices to this nation your
Respect for the Church of Jesus Christ and your contribution to our music world your tribute to our very dear Edward kinyan and his family God bless you let’s appreciate him one more time I apologize that I am temporarily visually impaired um just about uh 3 days now
Um so when I when I saw the doctor he said I have an injury and um he began to insinuate um that my wife could have caused it but I try to explain to him that she’s much shorter than I am and he said it might have happened while you are
Sleeping um great pleasure to have all of you in AR Baptist Church I apologize that I cannot see you Sheila I wish uh that I was feeling better to be able to come closer to you to embrace you and aana and our dear mom and or’s twin and sister
To loved ones both near and far and to those from the rugby Community I will say more a little later but now I came because I realized we had been sent messages of um great fear about traveling at night in Nairobi because we are going to have and
Noo Reigns and so you might not have been had an opportunity to go and see Sheila and the family at home and then there was a counter prophecy to that and then there was rain this morning I I I don’t understand but I assume that not too
Many of us have had an opportunity to be home I know some of us were able to gather there on Sunday in the in the afternoon late afternoon early evening but not all of us had a chance to participate financially and if you are in that category and you’d like to
There is an empa number that I believe is either going to be voiced or going to be um projected scrolling on our screens I’m sorry I can’t confirm that and I want you to give generously the tradition here at narab Baptist Church um is that when we
Receive an offering at this time it goes in its entirety to the family Nairobi Baptist Church does not receive an offering at this time because we know you came to walk with this family in their grief in their tough time and to help them with the logistics
That are around some of the hospital bills although or was um admitted for a very short while um but also we have uh you know Mor expenses we have expenses of travel uh for ourselves and also for the body of our dear brother and so um Michael of Theo are you in the
House do do you mind standing is he standing I don’t trust him and I know many of you don’t trust him as well so that fine gentleman is going to lead our ashers our ashers are you ready do you have your bags please feel free to give a generous offering
That we’re going to receive and then they are going going to go to a place to count it um and then we’ll give it all um to the family um to be able to offset some of their expenses is there an Mesa number already ah you people are very
Organized so as we do this we have another song uh that was introduced earlier a song of comfort a tribute to a great man though now lying sometimes the greater the tree um the only way to calibrate it’s greatness is when it is Fallen to the glory of God shall we
Enjoy this music of worship as we give uh towards these expenses the Lord bless you yes uh the pay bill number that you can send your contributions to is a pay bill number 661 5319 that is 661 5319 uh the account would be your name uh once again pay bill number
661 5319 thank you thank you pastorul susano so that is our aary song ah there there kibon praise God praise God again so we are here today also to offer our heartfelt condolences to you we know it is painful but in all things we give God glory in
Everything we give God glory the Bible says in the Book of Romans 8:28 that all things work together for the good of those who love God and that are called according to his purpose he has fought a good fight he has kept the faith and he has finished the race and
Everything we give God glory because he is there he knows everything that happens and at this moment I want us to praise God in an African way because the word says that we should enter his gates with Thanksgiving and his courts with praise let us be Uprising kindly to give
God the sacrifice of our Lips in myir in my in myir in my in in my in my hair in my hair in my hair in my hair in my hairy B in my hairy in my hairy in my [Applause] in in in my in my hair in my hair in my hair my in my hair Myir Walk in my hair in my hair in my my my my in myir in my hair My in my hairy in my hairy in my hairy my hairy my For [Applause] In my in my in my in my in my hair in my hair in my hair in my in my in My Hallelujah tell Hallelujah Morally Hallelujah Hallelujah hallelujah Blessed Susan and singers thank you very much indeed for that wonderful number in Lu so when aerian asks uh s Mary’s person to actually read from the Bible before he speaks it’s a great honor so I think it’s a mark of grudging respect for what
That school or the top of the hill has for us down in the valley do you guys hear that so I will read um just two verses here that Pastor mulandi has asked me to share with you before he comes uh to speak to us about the word of God the
First is from Proverbs 1717 a friend loves at all times and a brother is born for a time of adversity the second reading is from Proverbs 1824 one who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother the word of the Lord good
Morning is it good afternoon my dear Sheila thank you for the words that you’ve shared of deep sorrow but with strength indeed you’re a you’re a soldier’s girl thank you for allowing us to see deep into your life and love with our friend orre thank you Ayana I I didn’t know
When I I came in you were already speaking and I thought Mom was reading your tribute you sound so much like mom um thank you for for what you shared Ayana did I meet you recently wearing a senator’s BGE Ayana was that you wearing a senator’s BGE from
School sorry I can’t hear yes uh those of you who don’t know she’s honorable hble Senator Ayana for those of you have just been calling her randomly over here she is a senator at her school so Ayan is very interesting I mean she’s she’s her dad’s daughter and I haven’t met her
Since you know she was this grown up I I think I met you when you are when you’re very little and then recently when we met when you were wearing um that senat BGE and you’re with Mom and um mom was trying to Mom was was wondering you
Don’t know pasty and all mothers are like that by the way Ayana and and aana was wondering so is he the Prince of Wales I mean what’s what’s the connection here and thanks for being so gracious uh to meet me uh that curbside greeting that we had and little did we
Know that this day would come um mama and twin sister again our sincere sincere condolences and thank you for sharing about your love for your son and his reciprocation of the same and uh for you the twin sister for Belinda for celebrating um your brother uh with
Us through his life but this time and those of you who are who have come friends and family um uncle engineer said how this building is not built on the ground and some of you um may not have understood this building is actually hoisted on pillars on a on a on previous buildings
I mean older buildings that are are downstairs and then they put up building so we we’re kind of in the air and so when the Bible says Jesus will meet us in the air iobi Baptist Church is ready and those of you who are visiting
With us for the first time if this is your first time at Nairobi Baptist Church do you mind if I if I ask you just to wave um this is your first time at Nar Baptist Church oh where have you been oh let’s appreciate them and welcome them to naral baptist
Church thank you and and and uh the the worship team um the group that joined our worship team and the instrumentalist uh from n Baptist Church and from the family and friends who joined didn’t they just blend into such a wonderful I
I I felt like we at a service and uh I I really want to thank God for them uh those who are not from Nairobi Baptist please we are not going to try and put you from your church but we know that your church doesn’t have a Thursday
Evening service and so you can be a member of our church on Thursday evening service we have a prayer service and um K are you you around C was you part of the of the group sioma so you can take down their names this evening 6:00 in our smaller
Sanctuary we shall be having uh our evening service but thank you all for coming I know we have many many many who are not able to be with us today and who are live streaming and I want to thank uh God for our media who are facilitating that let’s appreciate our
Media but also welcome all those who are joining us and we pray the Lord’s comfort for you I am known to be one of the longer preachers in this church in fact it would be to your advantage if Pastor Mina was the one preaching because
Usually I write my notes to page 11 but today God has remembered you I have no pages I have three things that I’d like to share with us a friend a brother and more than a friend I want to thank Michael Theo for the role that he’s played with our
Ushering I want to thank God for kago um sangal for the wonderful coordination between the church and the family and the committee I want to thank B Paul for your facilitating our our meeting today um we are on schedule although I have to tell you that there’s a saying in mother tongue
That and so Al though we are not going to extend the time we took quite some Liberty to allow for us to express ourselves as family and friends because the day for collecting firewood is the day for collecting firewood we don’t add anything else on such a day and to
Celebrate such a great man and knowing that uh some of you may not be able to join us in Duty and so we had a rather extended service Pastor Mina thank you I do know you are on assignment and cut short your assignment to be with us deeply deeply
Appreciated may the Lord bless you in excess of your sacrifices now I’m told that there are serious serious dignitaries Among Us and so you will forgive me because uh I can’t see you uh but I recognize that they are important members of our society and we want to
Give honor where honor is due and thank you for coming we know that you came because of our brother and his loved ones and so allow us to recognize you in this rather um obscure uh way I got a call from Sheila and I was not ready for that call
Uh Steven SE had contacted me a little earlier and told me about it and uh the grief was too much I had to call tolbart um onyango in in Uganda just first I felt guilty for for being so broken I mean I’m a pastor we are supposed to be used to these things
You know but I was so broken and then I called AJ AJ onyango are you here AJ and I called AJ and spoke to no end and then went to the alumni WhatsApp group and Pablo um of Elon had shared some things and different ones were just
Sharing there and then I got the call from Sheila and I was not prepared because I knew I’m the one to comfort her but I was a mess and and I didn’t know how to be diplomatic and tell her I I just told her the truth this is too
Much and she told me it’s true it is too much but could you be there Wednesday or Thursday and we confirmed for Thursday I did not be in this state but the word that the Lord put on my mind are those three things a friend a brother and a friend
Plus I want to ask you if it’s okay with you and if your neighbor is friendly uh not one of those that our engineer Uncle talked about you know how these uh people of a certain sport look I want to ask are you all those
Three things are you a friend are you a brother are you more than a friend just turn to your neighbor and ask them and and they can tell you one over three two over three 3 over three okay oh oh sorry the neighbor on that side is not friendly turn to the other
One I say this because if there is a word that can be used to explain to describe a dear brother it’s a friend a friend loves at all times the Bible says and when I thought of some verses that could eiz this is what the Holy Spirit put on my heart that a
Friend loves at all times a friend does not um have too many pre-qualifications it is somebody who accepts you just as you are and from the wide spectrum that we are gathered here today it proves several things one one that orre had many many friends but
Secondly that of essence he was a good friend the Bible says many things about friendship I wish I had the time to share with you but let me just point out a few things about friendship that are said in the Bible it is said when Lazarus died they called on Jesus and
Told him even in fact his sisters are the ones who who said this your friend Lazarus is dead I think we know very well about the relationship that Abraham had with the Lord that he was called Abraham the friend of God but in today’s society we have taken
Friendship very lightly it is something that we assume it’s not something that we extol in fact loyalty which comes issues from Friendship is not something that we Herald as a great great thing in fact so much is friendship downgraded that these days if you walk in friendship with somebody of the same
Gender there begins to be eyebrows being turned and wondering what kind of friendship is this because it’s not expected that two men especially the men I think they are more attacked than this and and two ladies can actually have a genuine friendship that has no romantic
Overtones that has no um Eros kind of love involved and so it seems that we have thrown the baby with a bath water out we no longer celebrate friendship it is no longer something until we are in a moment like this that people say you know um this was my
Friend we we are a little a little embarrassed by being friends by expressing our friendship until it’s too late and we have no time to have said that that is not the case with our dear friend with our dear brother or orre went knowing that we were his friends
And he went with us knowing that he was our friend now I say this with much emphasis because I was the most unlikely person for or to consider a friend let me share my history with him a friend loves at all times I joined the Nairobi School in form
Five and so there were all these Traditions that people knew from form one to form four that I didn’t know and and so it felt odd and in fact when I said the school that I had come from although it was a school in Nairobi somebody asked asked me where is that
School and I remember the awkwardness of being in that system as a new person entering in and then the next year or and his classmates thewi Junior House Nasha and then they are transferred to the senior houses and orre comes and finds me there and I was a prefect and I
Remember um just the experience it was uh here is this Larger than Life in character in terms of his gentleness you can’t believe somebody this huge can be that gentle and then here is this guy who’s so respectful um even outside of the the number of colored ties that I
Wore um but but and then here was this guy who was uh even in form two um a a rugby legend in the school you know um he had to wear shorts but it was clear uh in fact when we had functions in girls schools like when we went to Kenya
High so we were in the same house in baringo or Hawk if you prefer when when when Nasha house from kenyah high would invite us to go um for a function a lunch on at their school there are certain people we made sure were not on
That trip because you could go on that trip and be embarrassed by this rabble who is smooth like lotion you know and you’re there form sit with all your colors and all that and here is this guy orre was such but orre still had time to recognize my
Existence one of the things that you did do if you in aobi school was not play rugby and I didn’t play rugby I never once played rugby I have never played rugby but if you saw me on Kenyata Avenue uh weekend of Black Rock you’d see me there in
You know school kid rugby school kid I’d be hanging some soccer boots uh on my chest across um from from my neck and uh there were rugby shoes nobody would notice that those are form twos you know who had given me their rugby shoes they couldn’t even fit me but you know that’s
Not what girls look like they look they look at oh he plays rugby before PCH machine now the uniform I was not new the uniform itself had grass bands those of you who are from the Rugby World it had injuries although my skin was smooth like
Lotion imagine orre had time for such a person like me unfortunately when I was in that school I had come in with several antisocial behaviors which only multiplied when I was there I was doing drugs and I don’t know or’s view of alcohol and substance abuse but or just used to
Look at me like why would a nice guy like you want to waste his life my academics were going the same way with the drugs and my life down the drain and no rugby and no history of being there from 84 to 87 a friend loves at all times so when
He was getting together with Sheila and their love was brewing they called me and I felt So Unworthy and then on Sunday Sunday was his birthday I thought one of you would mention and I sent him a message you know uh happy birthday to
You and I sent many of you sorry I sorry I’m getting emotional because I send many of you and you don’t even acknowledge that I’m celebrating you are born on Earth but not or to ignore such a message he replied just as he always did and said and God bless
Him I am here because I am sad and I burying a friend a friend who I I know he knew that I was his friend and we never got together we we I can’t tell you you know number of restaurants we went to no but I have no doubt the
Man who lies in this casket in front of me was a friend and I sad as I am to let him go I have absolutely no hesitation in knowing that he went knowing that this guy loved me and I assume that’s why Sheila had no hesitation to call and say could you do
This the service I I I don’t think she used such diplomatic language she said you need to do the service and I’m glad I mean she does have military background and and I am glad and I am honored I mean this family has you know n number
Of pastors they could choose and and wonderful sanctuaries better than this but I’m glad you came here to bring my friend but my message has three points a friend a brother and a friend plus allow me to move to the second that scripture says a friend loves at all
Times but a brother is born for adversity you see we all have 3,000 5,000 names on our contact list some of them are acquaintances quite a number are friends but those who can be called brothers and using this in the generic way for men and women but those whom we
Can call brothers are very few because the Bible distinguishes friends are those who love at all times without you know wondering which part of the country you come from without wondering what age by the way let me just tell you I was is it maybe three years ahead of orre in
School and I was this prfect in his house but we are AG mes now I would never have told him this if he was alive but because of school systems um you know we we’re agates and that’s why Mom I’m calling you Aunt Mary because you’re
My mother you know um we ages but he loved me regardless of you know my my being nondescript as in nobody to write home about you know no rugby no academics you know social life he’s messed himself up with the drugs and so on um just a b a friend friend but let
Me tell you beyond a friend there are there’s another class and they are called a brother and a brother the only distinguishing thing they are a friend first and foremost but they go to another degree because of what they do a brother is born for adversity I don’t know if you have a
Brother a friend who was born for adversity I don’t know if you’re a frequent flyer in the Book of Proverbs many times I’ve had people say religion is the Opium of the people um and it is something that we use to um to escape uh the the issues of
Life but but allow me to to warn you this book of wisdom is one that I would recommend that you read every day there are 31 chapters in The Book of Proverbs if you read one every day on several of the months of the year you’ll have finished the book of of Proverbs
And and the Bible is written there there there’s a section of books that are narrative there are section that are prophetic I don’t want to give you a whole Bible class but there are section that are called wisdom books when it comes to love and Romance
Of the Days of Our Lives The Song of Solomon but when it comes to daily practical living and the issues of Life under the sun because we need to recognize there’s life under the Su n that is ruled by the s o n then you go
To the Book of Ecclesiastes and then you go to this you know boiled to Crystal form um you know small does of wisdom that are given in copetes that are found in the Book of Proverbs and this is one of them it says a friend loves at all times but a
Brother is born for adversity there are those kind of people who when pandemonium comes upon you appear from nowhere and you don’t need need explanation of where have you been you knew they were there they were back burner you know they are always you know somewhere in the periphery you know
Updating themselves on what’s happening in your life and vice versa but when you in trouble and surrounded by friends and still lonely there’s somebody who pierces through that Circle and comes right into the epicenter where you are drowning in a pit where you are on freefall to God knows where and that is
Not just a friend it’s a brother and a brother is born for adversity I suspect there are many of you here who received the Brotherhood of orre but I want to celebrate the many of you here who gave Brotherhood to orre because orre has not just had a
Small smooth life even when we were in high school not everything was new as if you’re on worky way headed to Westlands no there were all kinds of panda shukas and he was not spared any of them be it family situations be it economic situations and you know business
Reversals be it health challenges we have known but be it also Celebrity Status you know you’re a CB in p and then you go to Saints and you have to work your way up who unto you if Eric W finds you with a white pair of socks that you’re claiming to be
Black and you have to rise the long rungs of celebrity status and then you go to Club rugby and then you leave the country and you come back and am I really known I am suggesting to you ogre’s life was not always smooth I personally know with
Testimonies that I will not have time or desire to share with you where or gray Even in our midst all of us sharing him and I like that song Oh gray oh and there are times that we sang that song and that song you know was ringing
In his ears in the middle of the night when he felt such deep sorrow such deep pain from all these vicissitudes of life and yet as we saw his coolness his calmness there are a select number of us who could discern that all is not well and others even without Discerning who
Would be brothers they would they would they would be part of the friends but they would go a little closer and be that friend a brother is born for adversity I I want to ask you do you have that kind of brother I I know I know you have friends you already
Proved it by the person on the right and the left and some of you are such extrovert the stranger you walked in with even though it is a COR man and corn woman they have already become your friends you on Facebook together oh so great you’ve even posted a selfie great
To be together and you don’t even know their middle name but it’s okay A friend loves at all times and we have several of those not too many but several of those and I’m asking cultivate your friendships invest in these friendships but we need to rise up and
Be a select group of friends and I don’t know if you have that friend who sticks closer than a brother I emphasize this because this world is rough I want to say this world is rough for men but I don’t want to get you know hate mail um
You know feeling my email although I can’t read right now but but I’m saying this I’ve never been a lady in in my whole life I’ve done one or two drama Productions but lady proper I’ve never been but I’ve been a man these 53 years and I have known the pain of
Looking like everything is okay I have known the pain because of my obesity people Imagine ah he has money do you know when I’m mged people even apologize life but they are pain that you go through that you need more than a friend and a brother on the day of adversity
They are born for that day do you have that kind of brother and and and really the way to get that kind of brother is to be that kind of brother a a a brother is born his purpose in life is that day of adversity and I want to thank God that
Orre never had to have a Sunday birthday and go without you celebrating him but that when all the celebrations of happy birthday or gray died down that there are select number of you I think I heard you being called Obama and there was somebody else whose name I don’t
Remember who went out for lunch with him when he could just be himself and bear his heart and say I want chapati you know where we come from I I have not built at home so I can’t tell you where where to come to my home I I only have a home um
In town um if you know the roundabout for Condell very well there’s that route that you go to kakamega then there’s the other route that you go to kibos at Car Wash hango if you stand at Gango and Shout my name your home but on the way
Just after the yala river as you go up uh there’s a place where Where the River crosses the road well under and there’s a railing and then you can see a home there that has a a a lookout place for for just gazing at the tankers as they
Pass the RO that’s my uncle’s place um it’s true that’s my uncle’s place and dudy is just you know where the KBC it used to be called V thing is you’re such nairobians at Livington Riverside that’s home and you’re going there this weekend anyway where where
That that thing is duty is just a little after that but I’m so glad that when all these festivities and conviviality of a bday die down that there are people whom he didn’t have to pretend to be super and say I want ugali the brown one and just say I want it’s food
But life continues but I wonder how many of you had the opportunity to be a friend when economics were not quite adding up in the business world how many of you were there when celebrity status was facing some turbulence how many of you were there when family situations you know very
Well kept interrupt but how many of you were there not not to get info not Intel just to be a brother born for adversity how many of you were there when arrested how many of you are brother born for adversity I’m going too long so
Allow me to but I can’t see the clock so according to me we’re right on time right the third point a friend a brother and a friend plus the last verse that was read very was very well for us in uh I I think the king and queen being around is affecting St
Mary’s people they’re very queen’s English uh this weekend thank you very well read for us it says that there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother so we’re talking about three friendships so there’s a friend and then there’s a brother who is a friend born
For adversity but there seems to be a third and higher class of a friend who sticks closer than then number two and number one a friend who sticks closer than a brother you know a a a a a friend plus I don’t know if you’re into this
Modern phones but whenever you buy a phone they tell you there’s one with a little more uh screen space there’s a little more with more memory there’s one with a bit more and it’s called a plus and we are saying that there is a kind of brother that you have that’s not just
A friend it’s not just a brother born for adversity but there is a brother who sticks closer than a friend I really mourn with you who who had the honor but the sorrow as well to carry or from the restaurant the place where you were eating and then to carry him into the
Car and then to carry him from the car into the hospital and then our dear brother was pronounced dead I don’t know how hopeless you feel that you can do first aid I like that you didn’t stop at anything in fact if I was to give you an
Award gentleman H who who did that I would say you have the honor and the award of being brothers born for adversity BBA but you know even the best BBA of us even his personal chauffeur who took him everywhere even his mom who sacrificed and you know Mom has never
Played rugby in her life she’s like me we are together but let me tell you this mom of ours is Tougher Than Leather there is no fight she has not fought for Edward Kenyan in the best way she knew how that her son and her daughter and their families would stand
Tall even after M rested this is a fighter and we’ve all done this a brother born for adversity for Kyan but like those guys when the hospital pronounced he is gone you know we get to the end of ourselves and there’s a threshold Beyond there that we could do nothing for
Kenan were shielded from knowing that he was a la until later when it became public so if I use the name Kyan I’m I’m referring to orre he was known as orre mostly by those who uh were with him in nasia house when he came uh to baringo
And before he became a a celebrated um you know uh prefect after we left um he was known as kinyan and there’s a helplessness and the hopelessness that we experience because we love Kyan we his friend we are his brother for adversity and we
Carry him but we get to a place where we have no traction there is no ground Terra Farmer for us to stand on and carry him and do something for him and we feel helpless and importent but you know scripture is UN came to say that there is there exists
It might not be you but there exists a brother who sticks a friend who sticks closer than a brother that is not a multiplicity of people that friend who scks closer than a brother is not one who’s your friend on Facebook or IG that is not your neighbor
That is not your relative it is one man man one man who walked what the musicians have coined into the Via doar Roa which in a season to come we we we sing down Thea the streets the narrow streets of Jerusalem going all the way up to a Hill Called Calvary and
Ashamed the book of Corinthians tells us in 2 Corinthians uh 5 21 that he had no sin but he became sin because he was a friend who sticks closer than a brother and walked that Narrow Street the way of suffering via doar Roa to walk to Calvary to Bear sins that were not
His so that he would be identified as a friend who sticks closer than a brother and akina Obama Obama are you here he he doesn’t have a soft voice I I happen to know that Obama are you here when you walked and carried or to what you thought was
The end that was only my end and your end my brother because we are brothers born for adversity but another Hallelujah had taken over the one who sticks closer than a brother and and because he walked that way of suffering because when given a choice he said Elo
Elo lak my Lord my God why have you forsaken me remove this cup of suffering from me but not my will but yours be done and for your sin and my sin and I admit I have a whole lot more than any of you in fact I’m so glad B MC that
There was no tribute for pans if there was a tribute for pans it would be SC scers and I would lose my job but re there is a God who calls things that are not as if they were some of my teachers come to this service and they say you are a pastor
Yeah because if anyone is in Christ is a new creation the old has gone behold all things have become new there is one who sticks closer than a brother and that one we must get close to so that when our day reaches and we’ve had friends so that when our day of
Trouble reaches and and our our brothers you know the the ones who are friend closer than a brother you know who can who who are born for the de of adversity you know there are some people whom I call and and some of them I even earn
More than than than they earn yeah such people do exist in this Kenya and I say I’m in a fix you know I have two sons 5 and 22 it’s amazing um they do they don’t earn as much as I do but when I ask for money do
You know what happens to me from those um uh brothers who are born for adversity my sons actually give me their wallet take what you want no accounting why our friendship is that deep that deep and when you and I have done everything as a brother born for
Adversity and we’ve reached the end of ourselves it’s only the threshold of the friend who sticks closer than a brother the Lord Jesus Christ and so as you are Meandering the panda Shar of this world and going very well and at top speed perhaps you have some friends perhaps you have a brother
Born for adversity but I’m wondering do you have one that they can he can take over do you have have Jesus Christ the one who hang on that cross a friend who sticks closer than a brother and Advocate that when you’re before the father there was this
Joke you know when I when I got saved in PCH it was quite it was quite an event um at least I mean I was not known as a thug by the whole school but at least in my house I I was I was well
Known as a thug and so when I joined CU it was quite it was quite something and um and I remember they said mulandi won’t last two weeks and they they were they were doing very good extrapolation because you see I was going to the University of Nairobi
And at that time there was a disco called Sahara City dreams 90 and the matatus used to come and take their turn at my home Hall of residents Hall 9 Hall 5 area and the music in the matatu was more than the music in the Disco don’t
Ask me how I knew I used to collect news and they said he won’t last two weeks he’s given his life to Christ because of exams true yeah I had failed I had two points and even a village Polytechnic would not take me but I wrote on my wall after I surrendered my
Life to Christ I wrote there I love mean machine and that was my my code and prayer for I’m going to University and by the grace of God I went and those matato would come around and you know when they told me you have two in two
Weeks time as soon as the results are announced back slide now and let me tell you I thought they were being very generous I didn’t think I would last one year that was in May of 89 baby we are in 2023 there is a friend who sticks closer
Than a brother do you have that friend do you have do you have that friend and it’s not because I’ve been so strong to hold on to him but he is so strong he’s held to me and in school we used to have we used to have you you know this story that
Used to go around I think I do need to be coming to an end I can feel somebody walking towards me and we used to have this you know it was it was a non-biblical story uh to frighten us to give our lives to Christ and uh to
Assure those of us who just had and and the story was you’d go to heaven and it’s a courtroom scene and and the devil would say would address the judge of course looking aside because God’s Brilliance is too much for the naked eye and and then it would say um before you
Stand they accuse M Mandi and the following are his sins You’ read 1 2 3 42 Page two page 39 and it would go on and then the the my Advocate would stand there and would ask me um I mean and then the the the judge God himself the
Father would ask are those a true record of your sins and I would have to admit yes although I knew there one or two that the devil had forgotten but I mean I wasn’t going to remind him was I and then my Advocate would say point of order re he would
Say it seems if you can look from your record our most righteous judge our list of his sins seems to be Miss ing all what was read and then the father would look yeah yes and turn the pages and they’re all blank they’re all blank what happened and then my Advocate would step
In front and said I washed them in the blood of the Lamb the Lord Jesus Christ because there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother do you know him I’m not going to turn this into a crusade but you know what to do because there’s no evidence because
He erased the evidence by paying for it not by hiding and no by paying for that and that’s why we can have the boldness even with tears in our eyes and deep grief to say orre is an example of a good friend do you have a friend friend do
You have a brother for the day of adversity do you have a friend who sticks closer than a brother I’m going to ask us to pray and I’m going to ask family members I don’t know the geography of the front I don’t know if there’s room for you to come in front
Either before um the casket bearing our dear brother’s um body or behind it whichever way could you stand in single file just with arms locked and holding one another family members and I do mean that in the double XL way uh Sheila if it’s okay I I don’t know if you have
Strength and Mama and Ayana if you could please come and other relatives who are able to stand with you let let’s have a line of relatives um just supporting the family because we want to take time now to pray for the family um our combined worship team award wining singers if you
Could please join me as we pray for this family they’re beginning a very new Journey but they can walk this journey of loneliness of grief brief but they can also fulfill all the dreams as they shared Sheila you shared and thank you by the way that 18th birthday Ayan
Can you hear me I don’t know where you are if there’s a speaker ay that 18th birthday please make sure we know yeah some of us you know might not be good company to be seen by your fellow 18 year olds so we’ll come early in the
Morning you know and then leave for you to have your conviviality but let me let me tell tell you your father had friends and this is not the end of It may I invite you to Stand [Laughter] Way Al [Applause] Me [Applause] aome Why don’t you go ahead and just say something to the Lord about this family Lord they are so crushed such a nice guy such a young person so many dreams but Lord we thank you that he had friends he had brothers born for adversity but also that the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself a friend who sticks closer than a brother had carried his sins and Mine and Ours and laid them at Calvary made a public spectacle of our enemy the devil that death although very difficult for this family is rendered tooth just backing and backing as we walk the
Bridge of the Valley of the shadow of death to be received by our friend and so father would you be with this family would you walk with them would you walk with them in a way that their are feeble and fractured faculties will know God Emmanuel God With them for Sheila for
Ayana for Aunt Mary our mom for Belinda for loved ones both near and far the people of Saka the people of dudy but even the people their friends that have walked all these close to 30 years Lord even those of us who feel guilty for mourning as if we lost a
Spouse as if we lost a son Lord would you would you f our heart we thank you that your name is a strong tower the righteous run unto it and are safe so would you would you take these ones Lord would you take these ones and would you
Embrace them would you embrace them would you embrace them oh God into the lovely arms of safety of Jesus Christ as we travel to duty As We Lay the body of our brother to to rest watch over us and protect us from the evil one who comes to to steal to
Cleare to destroy we bless them in the name of God Almighty who is father son and holy spirit amen amen amen could we please show them to their seats I think it’s okay if it’s if if you don’t mind I don’t know what your Christian tradition
Is but you mind if we give the Lord a shout because we have a friend who sticks closer than our brother that as we wipe our tears and as they flow freely we are not left alone in Jesus name amen is there someone coming is just want
Thank you thank you Pastor mulandi for tribute to your friend or brother to the family and um with that I think that brings us to uh close on a wonderful service and we just have two orders of business which will be announcements and the vote of thanks so
I I’d kindly ask um these two individuals to please uh come forward Paul Yodi to do the announcement and to do a vote of thanks will be Patricia so as they make their way up I’m very glad that aerian has finally acknowledged that the quality of what we
Got down in the valley at St Mary um was Superior to what you get up at the top of the hill when you’re in St Mar is it’s like you’re being filled with premium V Power by the time you get to Waki and that school or the top of the hill in
The dodgy world of adulterated fuel anyway let me invite Paul Yodi to make the announcements and then I’ll invite Patricia to give the vote of thanks kib Just INE very much appreciate you good afternoon everyone afterno um I will start off with a vote of thanks on behalf of Sheila Ayana and the entire Kyan family it is All Souls day thanks be to God our highest praise and gratitude goes to the Lord for in him we
Have found a good merciful and failing and faithful father in this season thank you for the gift of Edward and the 51 years as parents we are only custodians thank you for Edward Tower of strength confident the Brewing Statesman being the best version of yourself consistent solid so evidently loving of your family
Ever presentes and adoring father a friend Mentor at rugby supportive of Dreams both of young both of The Young and the old your entrepreneurial Spirit your hard work build building embracing uh the peace given by God to those who have numbered their days to M the pillar
And sorry to M the pillar and the foundation behind uh behind us all with every skill hidden inside her through it all your prayers have carried us and held us up your faith in God has defined you as an overcomer to the nuclear family Jo ment Christine engineer The Wider family your
Dedication and love for your brother in the last weeks is only a reflection of the deep love we share may God honor his abiding love and blessing and bless you richly um a very special Asante to Obama Boon and Matilda acting with utmost speed wisdom and flying to
Hospital to Mary and ni for helping Sheila break the news to Ayana to kagu for tirelessly refining the program in your hands to the sisters who have surrounded Sheila and Ayana for the last 9 days selflessly given of your time and resources to give chairman an awesome
Sendoff to Eva for managing the house to Jules for the flowers the diplomats and technicians ni and Lola standing in the committee to all the committee members under the chairmanship of David amolo who have worked tirelessly we are so very thankful to the other friends who have
Stood by us uh In This Moment moment words will never be enough to describe our heartfelt gratitude and may God’s uh uh may God’s faithfulness continue through all your Generations you have given so generously each of you may God give you back tfold to the church Reverend Mandi and Reverend Mandi I
Promise to keep your Nairobi School files strictly and rs I will not disclose them even at gunpoint you married Edward and Sheila 19 years ago you have stood with them during this difficult time asant to the matu family to maryo family to the OT family uh to Florence hasala
And family to uh Ringo’s family uh to Nika group and to John Odo thank you I have a few announcements that I would like to make at the conclusion of this service um the next important event uh in in in this weekend’s agenda is that
Uh we then begin the travel to dudy um Edward’s uh remains will be flown to dudy tomorrow uh there is transport available that will leave tomorrow morning and it will return on Sunday um the uh gentleman in charge is Andrew matu the transport is available at the
Cost of Kenya Shillings 5,000 it leaves from Kenya harleyquin tomorrow at 6:00 it’s a 5:30 assembly for a 6:00 departure engineer mat’s Edward mat’s number is 0722 1 sorry 0722 71305 0722 71 0305 for anybody who wants to take advantage of that transport um we would like to thank you all most
Sincerely uh for being with us at this difficult time for standing with the family at this difficult time and forgiving generously during these extremely difficult Economic Times but we still have a short forall we still have a shortfall the committee still does have a shortfall and uh as I
Appreciate uh the the contributions and donations that you have made thus far um I wish to on behalf of the committee just ask that you don’t stop and you continue giving our pay bill number was on the screen a little earlier on but the pay bill number is 61 661 excuse me 661
5319 the account number is your name 661 5319 for those of you who are still able to donate and help us um escort Edward on this final Journey we will be uh most apprecia thank you very much for making time and we hope to see you all
In Duty where um Edward will be laid to rest in his home on Saturday I believe it will be the 4th of November this year thank you very [Applause] much thank you thank you so much for the vote of thanks and the announcements we are coming now to the end of this funeral
Service but before I close with a word of prayer I just want to give some brief uh instruction that um we will be having a recessional song and um I will request the Paul bearers uh as we pray to just come and be ready we will exit
We will allow them to exit through exit 5 that is a PO bearers and the family and the body to just exit fast and once they are out and settled the rest of us especially those who want to view the body can exit through my light we have
Exit six at the far end and exit seven so that it can be seamless so we can all come this way exit and then go down if we exit through exit four then we’ll block the way for those who will be viewing um so I think that that is it I
Request us to bow down our heads even as we our father in Jesus name we thank you we thank you that you are a good God and a loving father even in time of grief like this season and we thank you that today we’ve been here to celebrate the
Life of our dear departed friend brother son father and whom we have celebrated his life even as we’ve shared here today we pray pray oh God that in all things you who is the king of kings and to whom Glory comes we pray that Lord may you be our
Comfort and strength as we continue with this season even to the barrier later on on Saturday Lord that you may continue to strengthen all of us and especially the family we pray king of kings that you will continue to shed your light and to extend your hand upon us oh God to
Encourage us and to give us comfort in the name of Jesus Christ we pray that Lord in this season that we will experience your love we will experience your presence close by and near us oh God and even in the reflection of our sharing and sermon this afternoon Lord
We pray that we will continue to extend our warms of friendship and Brotherhood to one another but also that we be continually reminded that indeed you our a friend who sticks closer than a brother that when all is said and done when everything uh is done you oh Lord
You oh Lord will be by our side and so Lord we thank you we thank you for today we thank you for the life that we have celebrated today and we thank you for the future that rise ahead of us we have confidence that we can trust that into
Your hands and you will be with us you will go ahead of us you will be our strength and our comfort and so Lord we worship you to this afternoon and praise your name that you are a good God be glorified king of kings and be
Exalted and now may the God of Peace who BL again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ the great Shepherd of the ship by the blood of the Eternal Covenant equip you with everything good that you may do his will working in us that which is pleasing to his sight through Jesus
Christ to whom be glory forever and ever amen now me the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forever more amen our friend we have in Jesus oh for real the pain we be and
W a privilege to car bre To God In Praise oh what peace we all for on Fall Fe oh what needless pain we Bear and no because we do not Carry everything to town in pray what a friend we have friend we have in Jes all the s and Grave to be SE And what a privilege to Car preg to everything to God pray to God in pray friend we have in Jesus what a friend we have in Jes All the priv the privilege To God oh what a peace oh what a Peain we all because we do because we do Not to God in pray have with prayers and Temptation how with trials and Temptation the TR everywhere we should never beour we should never be discour Take to the L come we find a PR so faithful we find a so all every week Jesus Take the again we have in Jesus we J to car priv to God to we have in Jesus all friend we have in Jes all our s to pril to God to God in pray PE PE We we all because we do not God everything to God Is Oh b I w go see Where so You Oh Oh [Applause] Man [Applause] you body Sh Oh For water me a you See Need when man [Applause] Need I
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