Chairman of Kikuyu Council of Elders in Uasin Gishu Joseph Gatonye wa Kimani died at a hospital in the town after a short illness. Photo/Courtesy
Joseph Gatonye wa Kimani, Chairman of the Kikuyu Council of Elders in Uasin Gishu, died in a hospital in Eldoret town after a brief illness.
Mwangi Mwaniki, patron of the Elders Council, and council secretary David Muchiri announced his death.
“As the community of Uasin Gishu and this region, we have lost an outstanding person in Mzee Gatonye who played a critical role in our region as an elder,” Mwaniki added.
Mzee Gatonye was crucial to the region’s efforts to achieve peace and reconciliation, particularly in the aftermath of the post-election violence in 2007 and 2008.
His relatives reported that he checked into the Eldoret Hospital for usual care, but that when his condition unexpectedly deteriorated, he passed away early on Thursday. Age-wise, he was 84.
Mzee Gatonye is the husband of nominated MCA Maina Wachira and the father of gospel musician and journalist Beatrice Gatonye Ng’etich.
The family reported that Mzee Gatonye had complained of been feeling unwell for the previous three weeks but continued with his regular activities up until Thursday, when he passed away at the Eldoret Hospital.
by: TheDailyScoop.com