This archive report was first published on 17 August 2019.
Senator Kipchumba Murkomen of Elgeyo Marakwet has lost his aunt Salina Komen Arusei to cervical cancer, a disease that has claimed many lives in Kenya, including top government officials.
According to Senator Murkomen, his aunt succumbed to cervical cancer, a disease that has been linked to dietary aflatoxins, as per research carried out at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH).
Speaking on Friday, Senator Murkomen eulogized his aunt as a great and caring mother, expressing his gratitude for the time they shared together.
"The beautiful lady, our dear Aunt Salina, has now left us after succumbing to cervical cancer. I can’t imagine the pain and sense of loss that my cousins feel. We are all devastated," he wrote on his Facebook page.
Senator Murkomen first met his aunt in 2017, and she had been separated from her husband since 1972 after their uncle disappeared from their lives.
"When things were tough, it’s my aunt who took my cousins to her home in Kapchorwa, Uganda and took very good care of them," he lauded his aunt for her selfless act.
Among the notable Kenyans who have lost their lives to cancer include the late Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso, Kibra MP Ken Okoth, and Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore, who died in July.
