By the Editor
Karachuonyo Member of Parliament aspirant Commissioner Jack Owino has paid a moving tribute to the late Phoebe Asiyo, a trailblazing former lawmaker and the first black president of the Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organisation (MYWO). Asiyo passed away recently in the United States while receiving treatment.
Owino described the late Asiyo as a strong pillar in both national and constituency development, particularly before the advent of devolution. “Mama Asiyo has inspired many, including me,” Owino stated. “Once I take up the constituency leadership in 2027, I will ensure her vision for Karachuonyo is fulfilled.”
He highlighted her tireless advocacy for women’s rights and gender equality, noting her significant role in championing the two-thirds gender rule, which was enshrined in the 2010 Constitution. “She was an advocate of equality and had fought fearlessly for women’s rights in the country,” he added, calling her a role model for women in politics.
Owino praised Asiyo’s lasting legacy of development projects within the constituency, many of which she initiated by seeking partnerships with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). “We remain with her track record of the development she had initiated during her tenure,” he said. “She went out of the country to seek for NGOs to initiate development projects in the constituency.”
Phoebe Asiyo’s illustrious career included serving as a politician and an ambassador to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). Born in September 1932, she made her name famous in the country’s political scene long before the multi-party era.
The political icon passed away in North Carolina, USA. According to a tentative program from her family, her body is expected to be repatriated to Kenya next week, the same week as the burial arrangements. She will be laid to rest at her homestead in Wikondelek village, located within the Karachuonyo Constituency in Homa Bay County.
