Former Kiambu County Governor, William Kabogo has urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to declare cancer a national disaster.
According to Kabogo, declaring cancer a national disaster will help the government mobilize resources and prioritize cancer detection, prevention and treatment.
Reacting to Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso’s death, Kabogo asked the government to dig deep to establish the root cause of cancer in the country.
He proposed for increased funding to the health sector to combat cancer in the country.
“I am saddened by the death of Governor Laboso. It is unbelievable that we have lost yet another person to cancer. We must face this disease head on,” Mr Kabogo said as quoted by K24 TV.
Kabogo described Laboso as a respected leader noting that he was loved by Bomet county residents.
The former governor lauded the deceased for her advocacy on issues relating to women empowerment.
“She was a brilliant woman and a true servant for her people,” Kabogo added in an interview with the K24 TV.
Kabogo observed that the death of Laboso and Kibra MP Ken Okoth is an indication that cancer has become a killer disease.
“The disease (cancer) is a threat to Kenyans from all backgrounds,” he stated.
Laboso died on Monday at Nairobi Hospital where he had been admitted in Intensive care Unit (ICU).
The Bomet Governor’s death comes barely days after Ken Okoth died at the same hospital after a long battle with colorectal cancer.
Early this month, Safaricom Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bob Collymore also succumbed to cancer.