Kitui West Member of Parliament Francis Nyenze has passed away.
Nyenze, who was the Minority Leader in the 12th Parliament passed on at the Nairobi Hospital while receiving treatment on Wednesday morning and his body transfered to the Lee Funeral Home.
During the swearing-in of MPs at Parliament Buildings on August 31st, Nyenze arrived at the chambers carrying an oxygen tank, a sign that his health was bad. Despite looking weak, Nyenze wore a brave face and took his oath with the oxygen tank behind him and pipes running up his back.
The 60-year-old was first elected parliament in 1997 as MP for Kitui West on a KANU Party ticket. He became a close ally to then President Daniel Moi, leading to his appointment as Minister for Environment and later to the Heritage and Sports Ministry during a Cabinet reshuffle in 2001.
Nyenze was defeated in the race to retain his seat in the 2002 elections by his then rival, Winnie Nyiva Mwendwa. He, however, recaptured the seat in 2013 and successfully defended in the 2017 election.
