Human Rights activist Ken Wafula passes away at Eldoret Hospital
Human rights activist Ken Wafula is no more. Also See: Media Council of Kenya Job Vacancies, deadline 20th January 2018
The late Eldoret based activist Wafula, 45, died on Wednesday morning at St Luke’s Hospital in Eldoret where he was admitted after failing to respond at his Kapsoya residence.
Mr.Wafula,who was the Director at the Center for Human Rights and Democracy (CHRD) was admitted to the hospital suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes,according to family and friends.
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Kipkorir Ngetich, a programmes officer at the centre, said the activist had been well until last Saturday when he complained of being sick and was diagnosed with extreme blood pressure.
Describing the late activist,Mr Nick Omito, who co-founded CHRD with Mr Wafula said he was an avid human rights defender who did not shy away from speaking his mind on issues affecting the common man.
Wafula was widely involved in the ICC cases which followed the 2007/08 post-election violence. He was in the forefront championing protection of witnesses during the prosecution of suspects at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
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The father of three had developed breathing problems and doctors tried in vain in save his life.His eight months pregnant wife Miriam, who is yet to come to terms with the death of her husband was overwhelmed on learning of the death. She described her husband as a loving and courageous man who loved fighting for the rights of others. The wife is the director of the Institute Women Rights, based in Eldoret. A postmortem will be done on his body at a date yet to be disclosed.
Wafula has had a long history in human rights activism within Eldoret and was also involved in politics through Ford Kenya. In the last elections, he vied for the Trans Nzoia Senate seat as an independent candidate but was defeated. Before the polls, he tried unsuccessfully to remove Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetangula from the position.
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Wafula was also extensively involved in the search for the body of ICC witness Meshack Yebei who was killed in Eldoret. Yebei’s body later found at Tsavo National Park in coast region.
Lately, Wafula was preparing to sue county governments over skewed hiring of staff which ignored minority groups in some of the regions. He was born from a humble family and at one time he lived on the streets of Eldoret.He will also be remembered for his fight against FGM in Kerio Valley.
