Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Ababu Namwamba, has announced the loss of his mother, Mama Agatha Maina Namwamba. She passed away on Thursday, August 7, 2025.
Namwamba shared the sad news in a statement early Friday morning, expressing deep sorrow over the family’s loss.
“With profound sadness and a deep sense of loss, the Peter and Agatha Namwamba family regrets to announce the demise of our Matriarch, Mama Agatha Maina Namwamba,” the former Sports Cabinet Secretary said.
The family has appointed Prof. Thomas Nanyingi Namwamba as the official spokesperson during the mourning period. He will handle all communications on behalf of the family.
Ababu Namwamba announces the death of his mother, Agatha
In their message, the Namwamba family requested prayers, privacy, and calm as they come to terms with the passing of their beloved matriarch, describing it as an incredibly difficult moment.
“The family spokesman, Prof. Thomas Nanyingi Namwamba, will handle communications moving forward. The family will appreciate prayers, privacy, and calm during this incredibly difficult moment. We thank you,” the statement concluded.
Earlier this year, the former Sports CS paid tribute to Corporal Jonah Kemboi Rotich, his personal bodyguard and close confidant for nearly two decades, following Rotich’s passing.
In a heartfelt message shared on his official X account on Sunday, May 25, Namwamba confirmed that Rotich had succumbed to multiple health complications.
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The news marked the end of an 18-year professional and personal journey between the two men, one that the former CS described as deeply meaningful and transformative.
“Rotich has rested after a battle with multiple health challenges, a battle he has borne with admirable courage and stoicism,” Namwamba wrote.
“We are devastated by this painful loss and commit his soul to the Good Lord as we pray that his family finds comfort in the bosom of Christ.”
Former CS pays tribute to his long-term bodyguard
Reflecting on their bond, Namwamba shared that their relationship went far beyond professional duties. Despite coming from different ethnic backgrounds, the two built a strong friendship rooted in mutual respect, shared values, and family ties.
“We have worked. We have travelled the world. We have dreamt. We have raised our children. We have built one large family. And worshipped our one true God – I as a committed Catholic, he as a dedicated Seventh Day Adventist,” Namwamba noted.
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He further emphasized that their connection was a testament to unity beyond tribal lines. “Rotich felt at home among the Mulembe Nation of Western Kenya, just as I felt embraced in his Kitwek roots of Cherangany and Eldoret. A living example of how to build a united nation beyond ethnic profiling.”
Rotich was laid to rest on Tuesday, June 3, at his home in Eldoret.
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