This archive report was first published on 5 July 2019.
Cancer in Kenya: A Wake-Up Call for the Government ¶
Despite strides made in technological and medical research, cancer still poses a significant challenge in Kenya. The country's lack of expatriate medical professionals and advanced technology required for proper diagnosis leaves many with slim chances of survival.
Wealthy individuals often seek second opinions and further tests abroad, while the poor are left to contend with their condition until it's too late. The recent reported deaths of prominent individuals in Kenya should serve as a wake-up call for the government to act swiftly and increase funding for training expatriates and acquiring modern equipment for public hospitals.
Here are some notable individuals who succumbed to cancer in Kenya:
- Njenga Karume: A former Cabinet minister who died in 2012 after a long battle with cancer.
- Wangari Maathai: A Nobel Peace Laureate who died in 2011 due to ovarian cancer.
- Nderitu Gachagua: A former Governor who died at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.
- Francis Nyenze: A Kitui West MP who died of colon cancer in 2017.
- Waweru Mburu: A former head of Radio Citizen at Royal Media Services who succumbed to gastric cancer in Kenya after seeking treatment in India.
- Janet Kanini Ikua: A former NTV presenter who died 2 years ago after being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2015 at a hospital in India.
- Ben Oluoch Okello: A Migori Senator who passed away in June 2018 due to throat cancer at Nairobi Hospital.
- Dennis Omondi: A journalist who died of acute leukemia at KNH after being readmitted after a failed marrow transplant in India.
- Grace Kipcholm: A Baringo South MP who succumbed to colon cancer while undergoing treatment at Nairobi Hospital.
- Calestous Juma: A Harvard professor who battled cancer for 2 years before succumbing to it at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
