Captain Kungu Muigai's tribute lights up sombre mood at Bob Collymore's family

Uhuru’s cousin lights up mourners with details of Bob Collymore’s dowry (ruracio) negotiations

Tony Mukere

July 4, 2019 12:46 PM

Muigai spoke on behalf of the Collymore family

Captain Kungu Muigai's tribute lights up sombre mood at Bob Collymore's family

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s first cousin, Captain Kung’u Muigai, on Thursday lighted up the sombre mood at the funeral of former Safaricom Bob Collymore with a tribute detailing their dowry negotiations.

Muigai spoke on behalf of the Collymore family, having been a close family friend of Bob’s wife, Wambui.

The former amy captain said he had been tasked with the role of negotiating dowry, known as Ruracio in Kikuyu language, on behalf of Wambui, while Bob had picked former Attorney General Githu Muigai to head his team.

“He picked a professor and an Attorney General no less, to handle the negotiations. They came to our home ready for the negotiations. Githu Muigai because of our time tried to intimidate me to call him father, I complied but it didn’t work. He tried to use his rank as Attorney General, it didn’t work. They realized they had come to face a seasoned a dowry bargainer.

“I was quick to remind him of Bob’s seven-figure salary and also took advantage of the fact that Githu’s deputy was Joshua Oigara, the KCB CEO. Bob was worried because he had no idea what was going on, but he kept telling the Professor that whatever we wanted we should be given. But that was just the banter because we had a limit on how much we can take. Of course, you gain by adding a few fines – real and imagined,” Muigai said amid laughter from mourners.

Muigai also read a tribute on behalf of Wambui’s mother, Professor Njeri Wamae, who described Bob as the perfect son-in-law.

Prof Wamae also added on to the humorous mood, recalling that she had not been a loyal customer of Safaricom before meeting Bob.

Before Wambui introduced Bob to me, I had never met him, except seeing him in the media and I cared less for the better option as I depended on various telcos which served me well.

“I told him I hoped he was serious about the relationship with my daughter, if not, I threatened to deal with him with my fair hands. I am glad that I never had to use my hands,” Njeri said in the tribute read by Muigai.

Tony Mukere