Former Malava MP Soita Shitanda died Tuesday afternoon at The Nairobi Hospital where he was admitted in critical condition after battling diabetes for many years.
Shitanda was the chairman of the Agricultural Development Corporation.
He represented Malava constituency since 1997 after he ousted the then minister of Health the late Joshua Angatia in the general election on a Ford Kenya ticket.
Shitanda was re-elected to parliament in 2002 on the NARC ticket and served as an assistant minister in the office of the President, before he was appointed minister for housing in a cabinet reshuffle in 2005.
He was re-elected to parliament in 2007 and re-appointed as housing minister.
The former Housing Minister later decamped to UDF but failed to be nominated for lack of a degree which was a requirement in the last general election.
He will be remembered for championing for reforms in the cash-strapped Mumias Sugar Company.
Last year, Shitanda had asked the Agriculture ministry to repossess Mumias Sugar Company, a move he argued, would help save the company from collapse.
He had asked the Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei to increase the government’s shareholding in the firm and take full control of its management.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has sent a message of condolence to the family, relatives and friends of former Cabinet Minister Soita Shitanda.
In his message, President Kenyatta said the former Minister was a patriotic and committed leader who was always loyal to the government and his country.
“Death has robbed us one of the loyal sons of this country who served our country with dedication,” said the President.
The President said it was because of his commitment to service that he was elected in 1997 and 2002 to represent the residents of Malava constituency and also appointed to serve as a Minister in the Narc and in the grand coalition governments.