President-elect William Ruto has mourned former Sotik MP Anthony Kimetto, who passed away on Monday.
Ruto described him as a level headed leader who was selfless in his service to the people of Sotik.
He added that Kimetto always spoke his mind.
"We are saddened by the death of former Sotik MP Anthony Kimetto. He was a level-headed leader, selfless and a consummate parliamentarian who spoke his mind.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and the people of Sotik. Rest In Peace," Ruto said in a tweet.
Kimetto, who was Sotik MP for two terms (1997-2007) succumbed to diabetes-related complications.
Close family members told the Star the deceased died at a Nairobi hospital where he had been rushed for a routine checkup.
Until his entry into politics, Kimetto was a former school principal, a successful farmer and businessman.
He is also the father of outgoing MP Dominic Koskei, commonly known as ‘Sotet Jnr’.
Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok and Chama Cha Mashinani party leader Isaac Rutto are among those who condoled with the family.
“It is with great sadness that I have learnt of the passing on of one of our pioneer Kipsigis leaders, a down to earth, selfless leader who left an indelible mark on the lives of his constituents. He remained a pillar of our community even upon his retirement from politics,” Barchok said.
Rutto wrote, “We attribute the extent our community has come to leadership and those of our founding leaders who stood firm as a voice of the community, defended our interests and ignited development agendas to which we're pushing through today.”
