This archive report was first published on 29 July 2019.
On July 29, 2019, Kenya lost a trailblazer in women's leadership when Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso passed away at the age of 58 due to cancer.
Dr. Laboso had been undergoing treatment in various hospitals, including those in the UK, India, and Nairobi, before her death.
She was one of the three female governors in the country, alongside Kirinyaga's Anne Waiguru and Kitui's Charity Ngilu.
Dr. Laboso's death is a significant loss to the women's emancipation campaigns, which she had been a part of.
She had served as the Sotik MP and deputy Speaker in the Eleventh Parliament before becoming the governor in 2017.
Speaker Justin Muturi eulogized Dr. Laboso as a humble, amiable, diligent, and progressive lawmaker who was a huge inspiration to women in leadership.
President Uhuru Kenyatta described her as 'an outstanding and courageous servant leader who stood out as an icon of women leadership in our country.'
Dr. Laboso will be remembered for her passion for education, especially for the girl-child, and her numerous projects initiated and supported across the country.