Mungai to be buried at his home village in Mufindi Saturday

Dar es Salaam. Former Cabinet minister and long serving Mufindi MP Joseph Mungai, who died suddenly on Tuesday evening, will be buried on Saturday afternoon at his home village in Mufindi District, Iringa.

According to his third child, William, the last respects will be held today at the Karimjee Hall ground from 11am and his body will be taken to Mufindi later in the evening for similar activities on Friday.

His son said his father complained about a stomach ache a few hours before he died. “Doctors are yet to tell us what happened as they continue with medical procedures, but as family we believe he died naturally after he complained about the stomach ache. We rushed him to hospital, unfortunately he did before we made it,” said William. Speaking about his father, William said it was shocking since his father was a sport lover and used to exercise occasionally. “He was an active man,” he said.

A sombre mood engulfed the residence of Mungai in Oysterbay as friends and relatives consoled family members, including some government officials, who spent much of their time with them. Among the government and public figures, who were present include the minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Mr William Lukuvi, and a veteran politician and former Member of Parliament Christant Mzindakaya, who both said Mungai was a leader, who stood on what he believed and a change maker.

“He was a friend…I worked with him for a long time. I knew him since 1970 as one of the youngest cabinet ministers during the first phase government…he was just 29 years old by then…we had been close since then. Mungai did not have tomorrow…if he wants to do something he does it today,” said Mr Mzindakaya, adding that even when they were both not in active service he continued working advising the government on various issues.