Gertrude Rwakatare burial set for Thursday, only 10 to attend
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In an apparent reference to measures that meant to prevent further spread of coronavirus which causes Covid-19, Mr Ndugai told the House that Rev Rwakatare’s burial will be attended by no more than ten people.
Dar es Salaam. Speaker of Parliament Job Ndugai said yesterday that fallen Member of Parliament (MP) and entrepreneur Rev Getrude Rwakatare will be buried by the government tomorrow (Thursday).
Rev Rwakatare, who was an entrepreneur, a religious leader and a politician, died at the age of 69 at Rabininsia Memorial Hospital in the early hours of Monday after a short illness.
In an apparent reference to measures that meant to prevent further spread of coronavirus which causes Covid-19, Mr Ndugai told the House that Rev Rwakatare’s burial will be attended by no more than ten people.
Speaking shortly after the House endorsed the budget estimates for the Ministry of Minerals for the financial year 2020/21, Mr Ndugai told MPs that it was important for the legislators to obey government’s announced procedures.
He said his office has been on close discussions with family members and that the latter has issued two key proposals to the government with regard to Rev Rwakatare’s burial.
“They have asked that she be buried at her church compound – Mlima wa Moto (The Mountain of Fire) – and that the burial should take place on Thursday. The response that I have here is that the government has no problem with both proposals,” he said.
He said, however, that the government would supervise the burial process.
“It is the government’s procedure. As Parliament, we ask for everybody’s cooperation. We need to understand the position of the government and as the legislative body, our involvement will be in line with the government’s advice,” he said.
During her life, Rev Rwakatare established Mikocheni B Assemblies of God Church in 1995, which she codenamed: ‘Mlima wa Moto’. In 2006, she established the Bright Future Orphanage Centre for about 700 children with funding from Mikocheni B church members and international organizations.
In 1997, she founded St Mary’s International Schools, with the first outlet at Tabata Bima in Dar es Salaam before later opening other campuses in Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Dodoma, Mbeya and Mwanza. She ventured into politics in 2007 when she was nominated a Special Seats MP on the ticket of the ruling CCM.
