Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso dies at 59

Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso is dead.

The governor who has been battling cancer died on Monday after succumbing to her illness at Nairobi Hospital.

She was admitted to the facility after jetting into the country from India last week where she was receiving specialised treatment.

This comes a few hours after the Bomet County government released a statement saying that the governor was ‘recuperating well’.

“The office of the Governor would like to reassure the residents of Bomet and general public that Bomet Governor Dr. Joyce Laboso is recuperating well and still under observation,” read the statement signed by County Director of Communications Ezra Kirui.

Before India, Laboso had sought medical treatment at the Royal Madden Hospital in the United Kingdom before opting to seek further specialised treatment in India.

While she was away seeking treatment, Deputy Governor Hillary Barchok was running point and had on July 5 exuded confidence that his boss would be discharged soon.

{Read: Govt approves new drug for early stage prostrate cancer treatment}

Her death deals another blow to the country which is still mourning the death of Kibra MP Ken Okoth who lost his long battle with colon cancer on Friday.

Dr Laboso joined politics by chance in 2008 when her sister Lorna Laboso died in a plane crash in June 2008. She was elected as Sotik Constituency MP in a by-election held in September 2008.

{See also: Kenya hospital inks deal to reduce travel to India for cancer, renal care}

She was also deputy speaker of the National Assembly between October 2008 and August 2017.