Leaders Mourn 1st Kenyan Female Legislator Grace Onyango.
Top leaders have continued to pour tributes for the late Mama Grace Onyango who was the first female member of parliament and 1st female Kisumu mayor in 1965, who died on Wednesday evening at the age of 99.
President William Ruto appreciated her role in opening doors for the participation of women in political leadership.
“She was a woman of great courage, deep patriotism and unflinching courage. Her legacy will endure through every elected female leader for generations to come”, read the president’s statement on facebook.
Azimio party leader Raila Odinga has mourned the veteran describing her as a fearless articulator of national issues and a defender of her roots.
“Nyambugu as we fondly called her illuminated independent Kenya political landscape with a stride of ‘firsts’…She was a leader and trailblazer to the hilt,”read Raila’s statement.
Kisumu governor Anyang' Nyong'o celebrated her life,stating that her death on International Women’s Day is as remarkable as confounding
She was elected as a member of parliament for Kisumu town constituency in 1969 .
In the August house, she agitated for the inclusion of women in leadership and politics and successfully contested for deputy speaker in 1979.
In 1984 ,she lost her seat to the late Robert Ouko. After retiring from politics, she maintained a low profile but her name came to light in 2022 when a social hall in Kisumu was named after her.
She is remembered for attending council meetings to push for her proposal to have spouses of councillors succeed them in office if they died.
Grace Onyango succumbed to illness on Wednesday evening at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga teaching and referral hospital where she was undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit after a long ailment. Her daughter Pauline Akwacha confirmed her death saying that the family celebrates her long life, one year shy of being centenarian.
