This archive report was first published on 5 July 2019.
Kenyan politician Ken Okoth, the Member of Parliament for Kibra, has been undergoing treatment for stage 4 colon cancer in Paris, France, since February this year.
On July 4, 2019, Okoth paid a courtesy call on Kenya's Ambassador to France, Judi Wakhungu, at her office, where he updated her on his education projects and plans to expand them to reach more students.
Wakhungu took to Twitter to share the update, saying, 'He updated us on many issues including his impressive education projects & his plans for increasing them to reach many students. He is also keen to use Sports Diplomacy to expand his students’ horizons.'
Okoth has been keeping his followers updated on his progress through social media, often posting messages to keep Kenyans abreast of his situation.
His diagnosis was initially thought to be a bacterial infection, but doctors later discovered that he had cancer, similar to the late Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore's experience.
Okoth has been undergoing radio and chemotherapy, acknowledging that the treatment was too expensive for him both locally and abroad.
He has been managing the disease with the help of his wife, who obtained a residence permit for him in France.
Okoth is also behind a bill to decriminalize the growth and use of cannabis, also known as marijuana.
On July 5, 2019, Kenyans took to Twitter to send him messages of support, calling him a hero and urging him to soldier on in his fight against cancer.
