President Uhuru Kenyatta replaced Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi as his official representative to the funeral of former United Nations Secretary General Koffi Annan.
With the funeral scheduled for September 13th, it was announced that the President would be represented by Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka.
The replacement was reportedly informed by uncertainty surrounding implementation of the 16 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on all petroleum products.
Lusaka is expected to leave Kenya for Accra on Tuesday morning.
Also in tow will be high-ranking government officials, members of the legislature and an official representative from the High Commission of the Republic of Kenya in Abuja, Nigeria.
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga left Kenya on Sunday and is also expected to attend the funeral.
Annan, the first UN Secretary-General from Sub-Saharan Africa, led one of the most consuming interventions of his career in Kenya in the wake of the violence that followed the disputed Presidential elections in 2007.
His effforts eventually led to the deal forming the Grand Coalition Government with Mwai Kibaki as President and Raila as Prime Minister.
Ghanaian President Nana-Akuffu Addo stated that Annan would be buried at a new military cemetery in the capital.
"His burial is going to be a major event for our country... I expect many leaders to be present," Addo noted.
