Dan Wesangula And Sollo Kiragu
22 June 2008
Nairobi — A moment of silence was observed in honour of the late Lorna Laboso at the 30th graduation ceremony of Daystar University on Saturday.
Speaking at the ceremony, the university's chancellor Dr Florence Muli-Musiime said that the institution and the country had lost a great leader in Ms Laboso, who is an alumni of the institution. Ms Laboso, who until her death in a plane crash a week ago was the assistant minister for Home Affairs and the MP for Sotik , was buried on Friday.
The crash in Narok also claimed the lives of Mr Kipkalya Kones, the roads minister, his bodyguard Mr Kenneth Bett, and the pilot. Ms Laboso was the first female elected MP among the Kipsigis community since independence and her success is likely to inspire more women to gun for the two seats left vacant following her death and that of Mr Kones who also hails from the community.
Mr Kones was the MP for Bomet. Although Rift Valley Province sent five women to Parliament following the 2007 elections, Ms Laboso was the lone representative from the South Rift. Other women MPs from the province are Dr Sally Kosgei (Aldai), Prof Hellen Sambili (Baringo North), Prof Margaret Kamar (Eldoret East), and Mrs Linah Kilimo (Marakwet East). Dr Kosgey and Prof Sambili are also cabinet ministers.
Popularly referred to as the "Tigress of the South Rift" after only five months after her stay in Parliament, Ms Laboso's benevolence, humility and approachable attitude summed up the qualities which women are widely believed to bring with them to national leadership.
Her charisma and ability to mobilise grassroots support evoked memories of post-independence women leaders in Kenya such as Ms Grace Ogot and Ms Phoebe Asiyo before her. In Bomet, word has it that Mr Kones' first wife Beatrice has been endorsed to contest the seat by some elders.
While no names have been publicly floated in Sotik, Ms Laboso's elder sister, Dr Joyce Laboso-Abonyo, is among the possible contenders. Ms Laboso's leadership qualities were nurtured over time having been a member of Maendeleo Ya Wanawake, treasurer, Education Centre for Women in Democracy (ECWD) and convener, Bureti Women's Regional Assembly with the Kenya Women Political Caucus.
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