- Gachagua said the country has lost a dedicated public servant, who served his motherland with distinction.
- Lenayapa served as the comptroller from 2013 to 2018 when he was appointed by former President Uhuru Kenyatta upon assuming power.
Image: HANDOUT
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has mourned former State House Comptroller and Ambassador of Kenya to the Netherlands, Lawrence Lenayapa who died on Thursday.
Gachagua said he was saddened by the news of the passing on of Lenayapa, a former colleague and close family friend.
“Lawrence and I served in the former Provincial Administration; we were, indeed, in the same detail during our Paramilitary Training at APTC in 1990,” the DP noted.
In his message of condolence, Gachagua termed Lenayapa as a humble family man who rose through the ranks from a District Officer to a District Commissioner, Government Printer, Permanent Secretary and Comptroller of the State House.
“The country has lost a dedicated public servant, who served his motherland with distinction. I am saddened to lose a close family friend and confidant,” he added.
The career civil servant has worked as a District Commissioner in Baringo and Kiambu and notably made headlines in 2020 when he wrote a letter to the International Criminal Court opposing the candidates list proposed by the court for the prosecutor position.
President William Ruto, in his condolence message, described him as a dedicated civil servant.
"My heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Ambassador Lawrence Lenayapa who has passed away. The country has lost a dedicated public servant," Ruto said in a message on his X platform.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and their loved ones at this time. Rest In Peace, Lawrence."
Lenayapa served as the comptroller from 2013 to 2018 when he was appointed by former President Uhuru Kenyatta upon assuming power.
He was later deployed to the Netherlands in 2018 as the ambassador.
He was also formerly the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources.
In his role as the comptroller, Lenayapa had intended to prioritise his focus on Kenya’s developmental agenda that was guided by Uhuru.
The Agenda, commonly known as the Big Four Agenda, focused on moving Kenya forward in the areas of Manufacturing, Universal Healthcare, Housing and Food security.
In the Netherlands, he also held the role of Permanent Representative of Kenya to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and led Kenya's delegation to various other international organizations in the country.
While at State House, his role as the comptroller included managing the finances and the operations within the House on the Hill, including managing the financial matters.
He also oversaw the execution of various functions within the House, including transportation, security, communication, catering, and general administration.