This is to inform the public and other interested parties that friends of the late Karundi Mathenge raised Ksh 64,346 (SEK 5,150) towards Karundi’s funeral fund. The harambee took place on Friday, 7th March 2014 at Hallunda in Stockholm. Karundi passed away last week in Kenya where he had been ailing for some time.
On Saturday, 8th March, the cash was sent to the family through Karundi’s brother, Mr. Ngini Gathekia who said that the contribution will be transmitted to the Mathenge Karundi Funeral Committee in Kenya. Gathekia thanked all friends of Karundi and added that the Committee will be meeting on Friday this week to finalize plans for Karundi’s funeral. The cash was sent through Moneygram Cash Transfer Services in Stockholm. The initiative takers would like to thank all those who attended the function.
Specifically, the initiative takers would like to thanked Njeri Wagikandi, Mr. and Mrs. Gitau, Jacinter Njoroge, Sofia Njoroge, Daniel Mwaura, Jared Odero, Okoth Osewe, Mark Gaya, Philip Pool, Munala wa Munala, Mrs. Hellen Opwapo, Gerry Changa Midenyo, Peter Mukundi, Albinus Odada, Christine Chambay, Geophrey Kamau together with all the good people who sent messages of condolences or helped in any way in making the impromptu harambee a success.
Speaking to KSB, Mr. Martin Ngatia, one of the initiative takers, thanked friends who congregated at Hallunda at very short notice to show solidarity with the late Karundi’s family at a time of great shock and sorrow. “It was the best solidarity friends in Stockholm could show towards the bereaved family of a fallen Comrade”, Mr. Ngatia told KSB.
Throughout the function, members took time to extol the good virtues of the late Karundi who was known in Stockholm to have been a very principled freedom fighter who believed in the liberation of Kenya from neo-colonialism and imperialist domination.
Although Karundi has passed on, left Kenya with a muli-party state and a new Constitution, the general mood at the fund raising was that a lot of work still needs to be done to liberate Kenya from capitalist class rule that is ravaging the country and promoting poverty, mass unemployment, starvation (especially in North Eastern province), political opportunism, tribalism, personality cult and emperor worship.
Mr. Karundi will, no doubt, be missed by all those who knew him as a Kenyan freedom fighter who had a clear ideological vision for Kenya. Karundi will be buried on Saturday, 22nd March 2014 in his home village in Nyeri.
Okoth Osewe
Information Desk
Karundi Funeral Task Force in Stockholm
About the Author
I thank the Kenyans and friends who showed the solidarity with us on that day. May Mr. Karundi’s soul rest in eternal peace. Mrs. Hellen Opwapo.