Lorna Laboso

Lorna Chepkemoi Laboso (November 25, 1961 – June 10, 2008) was a Kenyan politician of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). She was briefly a Member of Parliament and Assistant Minister in 2008.[1]

Laboso received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Daystar University in 2007. She was elected to the National Assembly of Kenya for the first time in the December 2007 parliamentary election[2] as the MP from Sotik Constituency. In the grand coalition Cabinet formed in April 2008, she was appointed as Assistant Minister in the Office of the Vice President.[1]

She was killed along with Minister of Roads Kipkalya Kones in a plane crash on June 10, 2008.[3][4] The plane crashed into a building in Kajong'a market near Nairagie Enkare in Enoosupukia, Narok District,[1] near Narok[3][4] and the Masai Mara game reserve.[4] The plane carrying Laboso and Kones, a Cessna light aircraft, had taken off from Wilson Airport in Nairobi;[1][3][4] they had been flying to Kericho in the Rift Valley to help with the organization of logistics for ODM candidate Benjamin Langat in the by-election that was scheduled to be held in Ainamoi Constituency on June 11.[1] In addition to Kones and Laboso, the pilot and a security guard were killed.[1][4]

President Mwai Kibaki sent his condolences and ordered flags to fly at half mast, saying that Kenya had "lost leaders of immense potential at their prime age and with a promising future." Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the ODM leader, said that it was a "sad moment"; believing that it was too late to delay the planned by-elections, he urged ODM supporters to use the by-elections as a tribute to Laboso and Kones by turning out to vote for the ODM's candidates.[1]

The "List of alleged perpetrators" of the 2007/2008 post-electoral violence of the Kenya National Human Rights Commission however lists her among the suspects on place 1 (page 177) and charges her with "planning and incitement to violence". Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20090729172008/http://www.knchr.org/dmdocuments/KNCHR%20doc.pdf

Following the death of Laboso, a by-election was held in the Sotik Constituency on September 25, 2008. The seat was won by Laboso's sister, Joyce Cherono for the ODM.[5]

References
  1. Dominic Wabala and Fred Mukinda, "Kones killed in crash" Archived 2008-06-13 at the Wayback Machine, Daily Nation, June 11, 2008.
  2. "Kenya Mourns its legislators: Kipkalya Kones and Lorna Laboso die in a Plane Crash.", Kenya London News.
  3. "Two Kenyan government ministers die", Sapa-AFP (IOL), June 10, 2008.
  4. "Ministers killed in Kenya crash", BBC News, 10 June 2008.
  5. The Standard, September 26, 2008: ODM wins in Bomet and Sotik Archived 2009-12-10 at the Wayback Machine
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