This archive report was first published on 29 July 2019.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy William Ruto Mourn Bomet Governor Dr. Joyce Laboso ¶
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy William Ruto have joined Kenyans in mourning the death of Bomet Governor Dr. Joyce Laboso, who passed away on July 29, 2019, at the age of 58 after succumbing to cancer.
Dr. Laboso was the first elected female governor of Bomet county and was remembered by President Kenyatta as an icon of women leadership in the country.
"I have received the sad news of the passing away of Bomet Governor Dr. Joyce Laboso with utter disbelief," President Kenyatta said. "Dr. Laboso was an icon of women leadership in our country. May God grant the family, residents of Bomet and all Kenyans the fortitude to bear the big loss."
Deputy President William Ruto also paid tribute to Dr. Laboso, describing her as a courageous, hardworking, and progressive woman leader who had battled cancer.
"On Sunday when I visited her, she was conscious, we had a long chat about what was going on in Bomet and whether she could go home," Deputy President Ruto said. "We told her everything was under control and what she needed to do was give doctors an opportunity to take care of her."
ODM leader Raila Odinga also eulogized Dr. Laboso as a hardworking public servant who had been a dedicated leader in the country.
Various leaders and Kenyans have called for the government to declare cancer as a national disaster and to set up cancer centers across the country to avert more deaths.
