This archive report was first published on 31 July 2019.
Kenya's National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale has spoken out against lawmakers who discuss cancer only after prominent leaders have fallen victim to the disease.
Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Duale expressed frustration that cancer discussions only occur after leaders have passed away, citing the recent deaths of Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, and Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso.
"We only discuss cancer when a leader has passed away. I will discuss this when millions of Kenyans are dying in villages," Duale said.
He emphasized the need for the government to take concrete action to address the disease, rather than just paying lip service to it.
"I lost my sister to cancer in 2018. We cannot hide anymore and must now establish laws and allocate funds to combat this disease that is killing Kenyans," Duale said.
His comments come as Kenya grapples with a growing cancer crisis, with many low-income Kenyans dying in hospitals due to lack of access to treatment.
