Nairobi Kenya — Deputy President Kithure Kindki is set to jet out to Windhoek for the burial of Namibia's founding President Sam Nujoma, who died on February 8 at the age of 95.

Speaking during a consultative forum with grassroots leaders from Tharaka Nithi, Meru, and Embu, Kindiki said he had to re-organize the timeline for the meeting with the leaders following his official visit.

"I received a message that I must travel this morning on ana official function am going to Namibia and the choice was to cancel this meeting. However, it will have put me in a bad place. I respected your friendship, and I chose to hold and let you guys continue later after we do the planning," said Kindiki.

The country will hold a national memorial service on Friday, which will take place at the Independence Stadium.

The casket will be taken to Independence Stadium for the memorial service, where people and leaders will pay tribute.

Nujoma led the long fight for independence from South Africa in 1990 after helping found Namibia's liberation movement known as the Southwest Africa People's Organisation (Swapo) in the 1960s.

After independence, Nujoma became president in 1990 and led the country until 2005.

Nujoma retired as head of state in 2005 but continued to lead the party before stepping down in 2007 as president of the ruling Swapo party after 47 years at the helm.