Over 60 Kenyan MPs Battling Cancer, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko Says

Over 60 Kenyan MPs Battling Cancer, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko Says

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko says that more than 60 Kenyan Members of Parliament (MPs) are currently battling cancer.

Addressing the media at Lee Funeral Home in Nairobi following the death of Bomet Governor Dr. Joyce Laboso on Monday, Sonko said leaders must not wait any longer to address the cancer menace.

“Cancer is a serious disease. The reports we have now indicate that there are over 60 MPs with cancer... As leaders, we need to strategize on the way forward and how we will deal with the disease,” said Sonko.

Speaking at the same place, Deputy President William Ruto and Laboso’s family confirmed that the Governor was battling cancer.

Dr. Laboso has been undergoing treatment at Nairobi Hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) since she jetted back to the country on July 14th after a medical trip abroad.

Laboso had left the country for the United Kingdom on May 29th after handing over duties to Deputy Governor Hillary Barchok.
 

She spent six weeks at London's Royal Marden NHS Foundation Trust Hospital before she was discharged to seek further treatment in India.

Last year, Juja MP Francis Munyua Waititu, who was successfully treated for brain cancer in India, said he met nine Kenyan MPs and four Senators in the Asian country, who were equally seeking treatment for the deadly disease.

Waitutu said he stayed in India for seven weeks and met senior Kenyan government officials and prominent businessmen being treated for cancer.

 “So many people are suffering in silence from cancer. Nobody wants to talk about it because of the stigma behind it. In India, I met hundreds of cancer patients from Kenya alone. Among them were nine of my fellow MPs and four Senators. The cancer scourge is enormous and we can no longer afford to bury our heads in the sand. We must get out and talk about it,” he said.

 “Those people you have been helping in fundraising to go for further treatment in India cannot find anywhere to lay down their heads . . . they are sleeping in trenches because they cannot afford to rent the expensive houses in India,” said Waititu.

“I personally spent Sh1.8 million on housing alone for the period I was there. How many Kenyans can afford that?” he posed.

Waititu said there was a need for prominent Kenyans to declare their cancer status to fight stigma. “If they could have come out openly like myself, a solution would have been realized so far,” he said.

Comments

Mugikuyu (not verified)     Mon, 07/29/2019 @ 12:20pm

Wow 17% of MPigs with cancer? Thats a huge number and if Sonko is correct then it means being an MPig is a risk factor by itself! Wonder if they rolled back their salaries the curse would stop 🤔🤔. Would the curse stop if they stopped eating from the poor? Karma.

Anonymous UI (not verified)     Mon, 07/29/2019 @ 01:11pm

Over 60 MP's have cancer? This is a threat to national security. What happens if they all become incapacitated or die tomorrow?
How much are they spending on cancer medication daily? How many foreign trips are they making secretly?
If Sonko spent 1.8 million on accommodation alone, multiply that by 60.
Add the cost of treatment and multiply that by 60.
Add the cost of airlines and multiply that by 60
The total is how much Kenya is spending on MP's health alone? This is how much each one of them is donating on their final "Will" to foreign nations ( of the wealth of our nation).
As our people go to the grave, those foreign nations that you go to go to the bank. The same money that you donate to foreign nations, is the same money that you eventually beg from them to be given to you as loans.
Kenya needs health and right minded people to govern. Those who are sick, should disclose and resign and give way to the younger generation. They should go home and take care of themselves. Holding on to power in that condition is a threat to our nation security.
Take your wealth while you are still with us, create two or three best hospitals and research centers in the country that will help you, your families and Kenyan citizens in time of need. Let this be your legacy.

njai (not verified)     Mon, 07/29/2019 @ 01:11pm

If what Sonko is saying is true, (he forgot to tell us how many are suffering from AIDS), then an emergency should be declared immediately. Yes, I say, declare cancer and corruption a national disaster. One has taken a great toll on the rich, the other has taken even a bigger toll on the poor. Laboso rest in peace.

Sukuma (not verified)     Mon, 07/29/2019 @ 01:41pm

The key is to get early diagnosis. With availability of NHIF, Kenyans can begin undergoing routine annual medical check up. You have better prognosis if the cancer is detected early.

MjuAji (not verified)     Mon, 07/29/2019 @ 02:29pm

Nakubaliana na Bw Sonko kwamba kuna zaidi ya viongozi sitini wanaougua ugonjwa huu wa saratani. Lakini sote tujiulize, mbona wao, mbona sasa? Ugonjwa wa saratani umekuwa tiishio kubwa kwa akina yahe kwa takriban miongo kadhaa sasa. Wanyonge wasio na hela na uwezo wowote wa kugharamia matibabu wamekuwa wakifariki hivi hivi tu. Tembelea hospitali ya Texas Cancer Center, jijini Nairobi, na ole wangu, utagubikwa na shtuko la moyo utakavyowaona wananchi wanyonge wameketi foleni vitini wakipokea matibabu huku wengi wao wakitapika, wakizilahi na wengine wakifa ovyo ovyo tu. Kwa baadhi ya Wakenya wanaowanusuru wapendwa wao kwa kuwakimbiza nchi ya India, wanafirisishwa na gharama kubwa ya matibabu wanayoipokea mle. Ni kilio cha wanyonge hawa hawa, ambao viongozi wao wanapora mali ya umma kujinufaisha wenyewe, badala ya kuwafikilia wao. Sasa Maulana ameanza kusikia vilio vyao. Kilio cha kupata huduma bora ya miundo msingi kama vile ukarabati wa barabara, shule na vifaa bora kwa watoto wao, uwajibikaji wa viongozi, uboreshaji wa maisha yao, hospitali zilizo na wafanya kazi waliohitimu, vifaa madhubuti na dawa za kutosha, na nguvu za nishati kama umeme zinazotegemewa. Badala ya viongozi hawa kutimiza agano lao kwa wananchi, mmmmm...visa na sakata za wizi wa mali yao ndio wazimao kila kukicha. Mara wabunge nguruwe wanajiongeza mishahara. Mara magavana wanatumia mali ya wananchi kwa miradi ya kibinafsi. Mara MCAs wanasafiri Brazili kuona vile shule za Chekechea zinavyoendeshwa humo. Mara watumishi wa serikali wanajipodoa na mali ya umma. Mara wale wale waliowachochoa vijana kutoka makabila wawatimue Wakenya kwa kuwanajisi wanawake, kuteketeza mali yao, na kuiba mali yao ndio wanaojifanya malaika na kupewa vyeo serikalini. Mungu sasa amechoshwa na vilio vya viumbe vyake. Wanayo masikio wasikie haya:

1. Tenda wema kwa wenzako.
2. Wasaidie waliokandamizwa katika jamii ukiweza.
3. Usiwadhurumu, usiwadhuru, usiwadharao wala kuwahujumu wanadamu wa tabaka mbali mbali.
4. Ukibarikiwa bariki wengine.
5. Kilichotengewa wanyonge na wasiobahatika katika jamii, kitumie chote hadi hela ya mwisho.
Kwani maisha haya, mali haya, mwili huu, sifa hizi, dhuluma hizi, wizi huu, chuki hizi, uongozi huu, uhuni huu, ukabila huu, yooooooote ni bure, bure birashi.

Kenya. (not verified)     Mon, 07/29/2019 @ 03:43pm

60 MPigs? That is a wrath of God. They go to parliament to increase their salaries and they think God does not see. They are stealing from the poor. This is a wake up call.

mkenya halisi (not verified)     Mon, 07/29/2019 @ 06:03pm

Only 60 mpigs ??Do they know how many poor kenyans die everyday n they r not on the news?Bure kabisa i wish mwene nyaga can b bringing down 3 of them a week mpaka those 60 waishe ndio waequip n concentrate fixing our healthcare system to the best n for everyone to b treated home cheaply juu majority cannot afford to fly in mzungu countries.Sorry to say kila mtu atakufa but if by all this 60 dying sooner the better they will take time to fix our healthcare for good.Who is next??Gavana Awiti

maxiley (not verified)     Tue, 07/30/2019 @ 06:48am

In reply to by mkenya halisi (not verified)

It was reported yesterday that 133 kenyans are detected with cancer every day.As you can guess, the majority are the common mwananchi.This is serious stuff.I have read somewhere that, 50 years ago some of the cancers that are reeking havoc on our fellow kenyans were unheard of in the country.For sure something sinister is going on.Let our so called experts tell us what it is.If it means eating less meat or what ever, let us know.Or do they really know what is going on?

omosh (not verified)     Mon, 07/29/2019 @ 09:26pm

May this MPIGS die a slow painful death for stealing from the poor. Its not news worthy to know how may PIGS are suffering from Cancer. We have the innocent and poor Law abiding citizens that are dying everyday because this fools are greedy and all there care is themselves. all the money spent on medical tourism could have built state of the art cancer center in Nairobi. Kufa Kabisa lets get news about there deaths daily... Cancer Come baby come and get them.

Observer (not verified)     Tue, 07/30/2019 @ 12:35am

That is a sad news story! We feel for all you MPs. No one can wish such a disease on anyone. I like the fact Kenyans are being asked to " come out in the open" per the article but then what? Ei6ll they all be flown to India and hac6e 1.8 mil spent on their expenses too? C'mmon MPs, don't you see what's wrong in this picture? At least y'all can fly outside, what about common mwananchi battling the same disease, what do we tell them? Just come out in the open is not enough! We need healthcare system reformed to the point our MPs can trust their own lives with it just as common mwananchi is. Set the example! Be the leaders, do your job so when Cancer comes knocking, we don't have to run away to other countries.

Observer (not verified)     Tue, 07/30/2019 @ 12:41am

That is a sad news indeed! We feel for all you MPs. No one can wish such a disease on anyone. I like the fact Kenyans are being asked to " come out in the open" per the article but then what? Will they all be flown to India and have 1.8 mil spent on their expenses too? C'mmon MPs, don't you see what's wrong in this picture? At least y'all can fly outside, what about common mwananchi battling the same disease, what do we tell them? Just come out in the open is not enough! We need healthcare system reformed to the point our MPs can trust their own lives with it just as common mwananchi is. Set the example! Be the leaders, do your job so when Cancer comes knocking, we don't have to run away to other countries.

Sukari (not verified)     Tue, 07/30/2019 @ 06:48pm

They are dying of "good living". Wealth equals to over indulgence, kukula matakataka kutoka west. Chakula cha ajabu ajabu in the name of maendeleo. Stick to Sukuma wiki, ugali, githeri na kathalika and live a reasonable time. Kula processed food long term and mshahara wake magonjwa ya ajabu.

Andrew (not verified)     Thu, 08/01/2019 @ 05:20am

Haiya! Kumbe these MPs are not spared frm this desease yet they have all the stolen money they need to pamper themselves with whatever they wish? Poleni sana waheshimiwa wakora wetu!

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