'One day we will kill cancer,' Njambi Koikai leads Kenyans in standing up to cancer

Piece by: Caren Nyota
Lifestyle

Kenyans have urged the government to declare cancer a national disaster. This is after the nation lost two prominent politicians in less than a week.

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Yesterday Bomet governor Joyce Laboso passed away after a long battle with cancer. Laboso kept the diagnosis from the public.

Her husband Edwin Abonyo said that she did so because she didn't want her ailment to affect her service delivery to the people of Bomet County.

She actually suffered for a long time but we kept it under wraps. She did not want it to deter her duty and all the things that she was doing,' Abonyo told the press yesterday outside Lee Funeral home.

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Kenyans have taken to social media to talk about the disease that is killing people like never before. Below is what Kenyans has to say about cancer

Njambi Koikai So much things to say. Rest in eternal perfect peace to all the gallant soldiers we have lost battling cancer. Rest in eternal perfect peace to Bob Collymore, Ken Okoth and Dr. Joyce Laboso.

Cancer is consuming us at a very fast rate. Corruption. All I will say is, a few people have failed us though they also fail themselves because this disease is affecting us all. By the time nilikuwa nakuja huku hosi, madhe hutuuzia mboga home alikuwa ashaanzaga kuleta garlic za Wachinku, fish za wachinku nazo zimejaa kwa market, maziwa mwitu, nyama za mapoison na madree, mamboga na fruits hatujui ni nini zimepuliziwa.

I was raised by two strong women. My mum and mummy (my grandma). I have a younger sister who has also been a tower of strength for us all.

So in 2015, tragedy hit our family. In September of that year, my grandma was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer stage 4 and i got a misdiagnosis. I was told that i was too skinny and that is why i had a lung collapse. In the same month, i was retrenched from my job.

Anyway, the cancer and this strange disease i was ailing from,wiped out all our savings. The years after all of this have not been easy.

Here's the thing. Someone somewhere slept on their job while innocent Kenyans have been poisoned through meat, vegetables, fruit, sugar milk we consume.

Someone somewhere preferred the currency of shillings rather than the currency of values while we are being chemically wiped out.

Our farmers have been ignored, disenfranchised and most of them given up due to cheap imports.

Some of our farmers do not want to grow organic food because inorganic food produces quantity at a faster rate at the expense of our health. Organic food is expensive and most cannot afford it in the hood.

We have filled our cities with junk food malls and strayed away from our indigenous foods. But what is safe to eat nowadays? Our indigenous food is also poisoned.

We have filled our environment with toxins. We are not funding research, not offering further trainings for doctors.

For anyone who's lost a loved one to cancer, i share your pain. God give you peace and strength.

I rest knowing that God is in control of this and He loves us.

William Kabogo We must start looking at Cancer more seriously. We need to bring these cancer tests into communities so people can get early screenings.

Njenga Muhia In Kenya looting is important than human life, reducing sex consent is very much important but CAMPAIGNING against CANCER is less important. That's why Kenyans are the majority clients in cancer centers in India. KEBS #RIPJoyceLaboso Government of Kenya

Kakamega Pundit Cancer screening should be made free in Kenya. Cancer should be declared a national disaster Fact breast and cervical cancers are the leading causes of death among women in Kenya. Prostate, skin, colorectal, lung and bone cancer most common in men

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Isaac Ruto We must set up a well funded and equipped cancer center in Kenya, it is time. We are losing many lives to cancer. Millions may be silent victims and cannot get treatment. As a country, we can make a concerted effort towards fighting cancer, yes we can. #RIPLaboso #RIPJoyceLaboso

Christopher Gona Chengo I hope the government will improve healthy facilities after this.

Tisa Tsir Those who think 🤔 that the current crop of leaders in the National Assembly will help in the fight against cancer, I tell you to stop ✋ daydreaming. All what they’ll is to increase their health insurance covers from current 10M to 20M per MP.

Musa Kariuki The country mourns because she is a who is who in this country, Kenyans are dying of cancer every day. Who will mourn the others? The government and top leaders seem not to care. Did they open KU hospital? Or the story every time is, it will be operational after 3 months. May her and others who have succumbed to cancer rest in eternal peace.

Zablon Oduor RiIP Governor. The government should take action quickly, Kenya is losing most important leaders because of cancer,