Former Laikipia North Member of Parliament, Mathew Lempurkel, has died in Nairobi days after being involved in a tragic road accident.
How did Mathew Lempurkel Die?
The accident happened in the Exciting area of Rongai a week ago. Lempurkel’s car was involved in a crash that left him with severe injuries.
He was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Despite close monitoring and treatment, he succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, August 24.
The Good and The Ugly
Lempurkel served as Laikipia North MP between 2013 and 2017.
He was widely known for defending the rights of the Maa community and other marginalised groups in northern Kenya.
But In November 2021, Mathew Lempurkel was sentenced to one year in prison for assaulting his successor, Sarah Korere, in 2016 at the office of the late Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery in Nairobi.
In 2022, he was arraigned in another case where he was accused of making inciteful remarks on television. His “abusive and threatening” statements against one community in Laikipia were said to have fueled ethnic tension in the county.
Former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua mourned him as a fearless leader who stood for justice and equality, noting that his legacy would endure.
His death comes just days after another tragedy in Kenyan politics, with former Garissa North MP Abdikadir Yusuf also passing away while returning from Australia.
To many, Lempurkel will be remembered as a strong community voice and a leader committed to public service.
By Vivian K.