Bomet deputy governor, Dr Hillary Barchok will be sworn in as governor after the burial of the late Governor Dr Joyce Laboso.
Dr Laboso succumbed to cancer Monday at Nairobi hospital after undergoing specialized treatment in Europe and later India before coming back to the country to continue with medication.
Bomet County Assembly speaker Mr Shadrack Rotich said that contrary to the word doing round in the county that Dr Barchok was to be sworn in Tuesday the speaker said that there were no such plans.
“The Deputy Governor has been executing his mandate as the principal assistant to the governor and since the law is very clear on his position there was no need for early swearing-in,” the speaker said.
Mr Rotich pointed out that Dr. Barchok had been in acting capacity with the assistance of the County Secretary Everyne Rono in the last two months when the governor was away for treatment.
“There is no single friction in the leadership of Bomet that is the reason as to why we are not in a hurry to swear in the Deputy governor until we have given our former boss a decent send-off,” the speaker said.
The House unanimously called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to declare Cancer a national disaster in a bid to be given the attention like HIV/AIDs.
Embomos ward MCA Mr Robert Sarbai told the House that Cancer was a major killer disease in Tenwek Mission hospital and other leading health facilities in the region.
“The government must invest in research, training of health staff from nurses, clinical officer and doctors in detecting and treatment of cancer,” Mr Sarbai stated.
The House Majority leaders and Ndaraweta MCA Mr Josephat Kiriu said that in honour of the departed leader, the Assembly will ensure that Dr Laboso’s manifesto will be implemented to the letter.
While voicing his condolences to the family and friends of the departed leader in the assembly, Nyanores ward MCA Mr. Andrew Martim who is also minority leaders of the House stated that there are around 80 people who die of cancer every day across the country according to health reports.
“As a nation, we have lost three prominent leaders to cancer in July alone. How many cases exist that include less prominent people who do not get to make the headlines? The numbers of those that are dying of this disease are higher than we imagine and this requires us to take meaningful action,” he said.
The leaders spoke in one voice persisting that while they mourn the death of their governor, cancer is a scourge that cannot be ignored.
They insisted that this should be a point to learn from in order for the pain they feel as a county government not to be experienced by any Kenyan again.
Many took the opportunity to applaud Governor Laboso’s leadership calling her a departed heroine who pioneered in a multitude of the things she undertook.
The leaders also encouraged one another to rise, stronger and united than ever before to deliver on the late governor’s County Development Plan (CIDP).
The House voted for an early recess to allow its members to participate in the funeral arrangement of governor Laboso. The House will resume on September 10, 2019.
By Joseph Obwocha
