This archive report was first published on 29 July 2019.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has expressed his condolences to the family and friends of Bomet Governor Dr. Joyce Laboso, who passed away on Monday at the Nairobi Hospital.
Dr. Laboso, an icon of women leadership in Kenya, succumbed to cancer after a long battle.
President Kenyatta described Dr. Laboso as an icon of women leadership in Kenya, saying, "I have received the sad news of the passing away of Bomet Governor Dr Joyce Laboso with utter disbelief. 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,"
He added that Dr. Laboso will be remembered for her passion for education, especially for the girl-child, in Bomet and across the country.
Deputy President William Ruto described Dr. Laboso as a courageous, hardworking, and progressive woman leader in Kenya, saying, "Joyce Laboso exemplified the strength of a woman: gentle yet firm, intense, hardworking, resilient and pragmatic. She was an iconic leader, who focused and delivered on her constituents’ interests. Joyce has left us a very devastated nation, county and family,"
Opposition leader Raila Odinga termed Dr. Laboso’s death as "a blow to our system of devolved government," saying, "Laboso’s death is a blow to our system of devolved government. She was a dedicated public servant and when I recently visited her in hospital in London, I was encouraged that she was on path to full recovery. My prayers are with her family and the people of Bomet. Rest in Peace,"
Dr. Laboso had returned to Kenya on July 14 after a medical trip to India and the United Kingdom.
