The Lake Region Economic bloc (LREB), has postponed indefinitely, its Fifth Economic Summit that was scheduled later this week following the death of its Vice-Chair, Bomet Governor Dr Joyce Laboso.
The LREB Summit was scheduled to take place at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Bondo Main Campus, Bondo Town, Siaya County from the 1st of August 2019 to the 2nd of August this year.
In a statement sent to newsroom on Tuesday, the bloc's chairman Wycliffe Oparanya called off the summit until after the final rites ceremony of the late is concluded.
He said in her honour, LREB leadership has made the decision to call off this meeting till a later date to be communicated to the public.
''We regret any inconvenience caused to our various stakeholders by these untimely changes. We stand in solidarity with the family and the nation,'' Oparanya said
Laboso succumbed to cancer in Nairobi on Monday after spending several weeks in hospital in London and India.
Prior to the cancellation of the Summit the bloc was running a TV advert inviting exhibitors and investors to the fete.
The LREB comprises fourteen (14) counties -Migori, Nyamira, Siaya, Vihiga, Bomet, Bungoma, Busia, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kisii, Kisumu, Nandi, Trans Nzoia and Kericho.
The bloc's chair described the late Laboso as an instrumental leader, mentor and mother of great repute who always in her service stood for the common good of the public.
He said Dr Laboso's exemplary leadership skills, compassion and commitment to service, extended beyond the County boundaries.
She was a dedicated leader who took the challenge to successfully host our inaugural Trade, Investment and Blue Economy conference in October 2018 in Bomet County
''Through this conference, she managed to help the bloc set its agenda and our national political leaders to focus on national development and cohesion,'' Oparanya recalled.
Laboso, he said, has died at a time when her services were needed at the bloc.
''It is our prayer that the Lord grants her family, the people of Bomet, the LREB counties and the Nation at large, the strength to overcome the emotions,'' said Oparanya
Several governors mourned the late and rued the death as unfortunate. Governor Okoth Obado declared to build a modern Cancer Centre in Migori County.
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He claimed that ''cancer cases were worrying” and earlier precautions should be taken to prevent and cure the disease.
Kisumu Governor Prof Peter Anyang’ Nyong'o also paid tribute to the late Dr Laboso.
Recently, Nyong'o proposed that Safaricom Foundation sets up an Oncology centre to be named after the former late CEO Bob Collymore who fell to cancer too.
Prof Nyong’o said it was sad that there were few oncologists in the country despite rising cancer cases claiming lives of enterprising Kenyan minds and productive age sets.
The governor noted that lack of specialised doctors was the reason patients had to seek treatment abroad thus eating heavily in their hard earned resources.
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