Raila Odinga has left the country for Zimbabwe to attend the burial of his long-time friend and Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai died on Wednesday, aged 65 at a hospital in South Africa where he had been undergoing treatment for colon cancer.
He will be laid to rest on Tuesday, February 20, in his rural home in Buhera, 250 kilometers south of Harare.
He was the strongest and fiercest opponent ever to Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party’s four decades of rule.
Raila had eulogised Tsvangirai as a democrat and freedom fighter.
He said, "Morgan dared to dream of democracy, freedom, and justice for his country and his people despite the firm hands of dictatorship that held sway."
In a tweet on Thursday, the Nasa principal noted that the deceased remained a source of inspiration to a generation of leaders across the continent for his courage in the face of monumental odds.
"His death leaves a gap in a country that still needs strong forces of change to return to the path of democracy. I pray that the party he founded, the MDC, will hold firm and pursue the ideals he lived for," Raila tweeted.
****
To be the first to get updates on breaking and trending news in Kenya, send your WhatsApp number to 0792066260