Former Lugari Member of Parliament, Enoch Kibunguchy, has passed away while receiving treatment at the Eldoret Hospital following a prolonged battle with illness.
The 72-year-old succeeded the late Cyrus Jirongo as Lugari MP, serving from 2003 to 2007. He later became the Likuyani MP, where he served for two consecutive terms between 2013 and 2022.
During his political career, Kibunguchy worked with several political parties, including FORD-Kenya, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), and most recently, the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K), which he joined this year.
Besides serving as an MP, Kibunguchy also served as an Assistant Director of Medical Services at the Ministry of Health and held senior roles at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and Coast General Hospital.
While confirming his demise, the current Lugari MP, Nabii Nabwera, mourned the deceased as not only a leader but a man with whom he shared many moments of reflection and guidance.
According to the legislator, throughout his years in public office, Kibunguchy was known for his quiet determination, humility, and integrity, adding that one of the former MP's legacies was his strong commitment to education.
"He believed deeply that knowledge was the greatest equaliser, and he translated this belief into action by initiating and supporting the establishment of several schools from the ground up," Nabwera stated.
"The larger Lugari community has lost a towering yet gentle figure. I have lost a friend whose wisdom I treasured and whose presence I will dearly miss," he added.
His death comes just a fortnight after Jirongo's death in a grisly road accident in the Karai area of Naivasha along the busy Nairobi-Nakuru highway.
The former KANU bigwig passed away on December 13, at around 2am, while driving to Nairobi after his Mercedes car collided with a 65-seater bus that was heading towards Kisumu.
Jirongo served as MP for Lugari Constituency between 1997 and 2002. The 64-year-old also served as a Minister for Rural Development during Kenya's second President, Daniel Moi's administration between March 2002 and December of the same year.
In 2022, he unsuccessfully contested the Kakamega gubernatorial position under the United Democratic Party (UDP), losing the race to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party's Fernandes Barasa.
