Nairobi County Assembly deputy minority leader and ODM nominated MCA Mellab Lumalah is dead.
Ms Lumalah passed away in New Delhi, India where she was receiving treatment.
Confirming the death, Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Benson Mutura said that the county legislator had been undergoing treatment abroad before the assembly received the sad news of her demise.
He said the MCA was diagnosed with stage four cancer and has been outside the country since December last year.
“It is true that we have lost Mellab who was diagnosed with stage four cancer. She passed away sometimes after 2am,” said Mr Mutura.
Early this month on resumption of the assembly from long recess, Speaker Mutura asked members to put their colleague in prayers.
“Members, you may also be aware of one of our us, Hon. Mellab Atemah Lumalah, Special Elect Member from the Orange Democratic Movement who has been on treatment in India since December last year, I request for your healing prayers,” he said in his communication to the House.
Mr Mutura described Ms Lumalah as a consummate leader who carried out her duties diligently and effectively.
In October, 2020, Ms Lumalah was nominated by ODM to the position of a deputy minority leader replacing Wiper Party’s Hospital Ward MCA Patrick Musili.
Passing his heartfelt condolences, Majority Whip Paul Kados said the MCA had been hospitalised in India for a while as she battled cancer.
Ms Lumalah has been an active member of the Nairobi County Assembly where she has been at the forefront of advocating for many legislations touching on women and the youth.
In particular, she has been part of MCAs who have been fighting against sexual and gender based violence together with Deputy Majority Whip Waithera Chege and nominated MCA Wanjiru Kariuki.
“I reside in Kawangware. On daily basis, daughters, sons, and women are raped and beaten. I am encouraging the women to keep on shouting. Unfortunately, men don’t come out and speak about it,” she said in 2020.
In 2017, she was a seconder of a motion passed by the assembly seeking to outlaw commercial sex work in Nairobi.
She decried how the practice was contributing to the erosion of African culture urging the county to look for a way of helping young boys and girls who are the most vulnerable to the immorality.
“There is need to get those involved in this business back to the society and rehabilitate them,” Ms Atema said then.
The motion was moved by Woodley/Kenyatta Golf Course MCA Mwangi Abraham Njihia raising concerns on the increase of the number of the sex workers which he blamed on the increased immorality and sexually transmitted diseases among the young people in the county.
When retired President Daniel Arap Moi passed away in 2020, she recounted how an encounter with Moi when they sang for him while at Mukumu Primary School made her complete her education after the former president had her school fees paid in full.
“He paid my school fees through bursary as my parents could not afford. There is so much we can speak about the late president. He left a rich legacy especially for women as he favoured girls going by the many girl schools he opened,” she said. BY DAILY NATION