This archive report was first published on 29 July 2019.
Published on July 29, 2019, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has sounded the alarm on the growing cancer menace in Kenya, revealing that over 60 Kenyan Members of Parliament (MPs) are currently battling the disease.
Speaking at Lee Funeral Home in Nairobi following the death of Bomet Governor Dr. Joyce Laboso, Sonko emphasized the need for leaders to take immediate action to address the cancer scourge.
“Cancer is a serious disease. The reports we have now indicate that there are over 60 MPs with cancer... As leaders, we need to strategize on the way forward and how we will deal with the disease,” Sonko said.
Laboso, who had been undergoing treatment at Nairobi Hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) since her return from a medical trip abroad, had left the country for the United Kingdom on May 29th after handing over duties to Deputy Governor Hillary Barchok.
Her case is not an isolated one, as several Kenyan politicians have publicly spoken out about their cancer battles. Last year, Juja MP Francis Munyua Waititu, who was successfully treated for brain cancer in India, shared his experience with hundreds of cancer patients from Kenya, including nine of his fellow MPs and four Senators.
“So many people are suffering in silence from cancer. Nobody wants to talk about it because of the stigma behind it. In India, I met hundreds of cancer patients from Kenya alone. Among them were nine of my fellow MPs and four Senators. The cancer scourge is enormous and we can no longer afford to bury our heads in the sand. We must get out and talk about it,” Waititu said.
