Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has shared a touching and humorous memory of the late Pope Francis, recalling the moment the Pontiff "chased him out" of his own State House office.
This happened during the Pope’s visit to Kenya in 2015.
Speaking during the requiem Mass for the late Pope at the Holy Family Basilica in Nairobi on April 25, Uhuru recounted the encounter as a testament to Pope Francis' deep humility and simplicity.
“He threw me out of my own office—and that was quite incredible,” Uhuru said during his tribute.
Uhuru narrated how, following a one-on-one discussion with the Pope in his office, as a diplomatic requirement between heads of state, he was approached by someone who had requested a private audience with His Holiness.
After relaying the message and inviting the individual in, Uhuru said there was a long moment of silence.
“We were sitting in my office, just the two of us, and this is an office where I’ve met many world leaders—including President Obama. After we finished our conversation, I told him someone wanted to speak with him briefly,’’ he said.
“The person came in, sat down, and there was complete silence. Then the Pope turned to me and asked, ‘I thought you said he wanted to talk to me?’ And for the first time, I was thrown out of a meeting in my own office,” he said, drawing laughter from the congregation.
The former President praised the Pope’s deep personal care and humility, revealing that even after leaving Kenya, the Pope continued to check in on the unnamed individual he had met.
“The most important thing was that here was a man leading over a billion people across the world, yet he still took time to follow up with someone he had briefly met in Nairobi. That speaks volumes about his character,” Uhuru said.
Uhuru concluded by describing Pope Francis as a selfless, humble, and deeply compassionate leader.
“I can stand here today as someone who can personally testify to the depth of his humility and concern for others.”
