Long-serving former Voi MP Eliud Mwamunga is dead

Former Cabinet minister in President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel Moi’s administrations Eliud Mwamunga is dead.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday mourned him as an astute politician who greatly contributed to the growth of a modern Kenya. 

The president said the late politician who represented Voi Constituency for an uninterrupted 20 years served the country with commitment and devotion and was key to some of the most influential policies which contributed to Kenya being an economic powerhouse in the East African region.

“In 1969, at the age of 34, the late Mwamunga contested and won the Voi parliamentary seat. In his first term in Parliament, Mwamunga initiated numerous development projects, made useful connections with agriculturalists, wildlife conservationists and mineral prospectors who exploited natural resources for the benefit of the country,” said President Kenyatta.

Mr Kenyatta said it was during his time as the minister for Commerce and Industry that Kenya hosted the 4th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

“This was the first time an international conference of its kind was being held in the African continent,” said Mr Kenyatta.

Mr Mwamunga died on Saturday morning, aged 83, at a Mombasa hospital. The former MP served in Parliament between 1969-1983.

The politician was also a co-founder of the Democratic Party of Kenya which later catapulted Mr Mwai Kibaki to the presidency in 2002.

Giving his tribute, Governor Granton Samboja mourned the politician as a great man and father of politicians in the county.

“His scholarly wisdom helped shape Taita Taveta and Kenya at large during his many years of service as a member of Parliament for Voi constituency,” he said.

The governor said the residents are grateful for the many projects he initiated when he served in the public service.

The politician served in Water, and later in the Commerce and Industry ministries.