This archive report was first published on 1 August 2019.
Ken Okoth's life was cut short by Stage 4 Colorectal Cancer, a diagnosis he received in October 2017. The late Kibra MP had first fallen ill in 2016 while in Mombasa, where he was diagnosed with gastrointestinal infections.
However, a year later, doctors at Aga Khan Hospital revealed that Okoth had been misdiagnosed, and he was actually suffering from a more serious condition.
During Okoth's Memorial Service at Moi Girls High School, Nairobi, Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan Abdi shared the details of Okoth's final days. The MP had kept his illness a secret from his family, only sharing the news with his brother Imran Okoth.
Imran revealed that they had agreed not to inform anyone else until they had a plan in place to deal with the situation. It wasn't until three months later, when Okoth was already abroad receiving treatment, that his mother, Angeline Ajwang, found out about his condition.
Okoth's treatment in the US was expensive, and he eventually settled for France as a more affordable option. When he returned to Kenya in January, his friends noticed a significant change in his health.
It was then that Okoth began to open up about his illness, sharing his experiences on social media. In March 2019, he publicly shared details of his battle with cancer, captioning a photo, 'Napambana na hali yangu kabisa. Chemo drugs are brutal on the skin and immunity system.'
Okoth's cancer was discovered at an advanced stage and could only be managed, not cured. His courageous fight against the disease serves as a reminder of the importance of early detection and treatment.
