Former MP Dies After Road Accident
Former Laikipia North Member of Parliament, Mathew Lempurkel Lekidime, has passed away weeks after being admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Lempurkel was taken to hospital following a serious road accident that occurred at the Exciting area in Ong’ata Rongai while he was heading back home. The crash left him with severe injuries, and he had been fighting for his life in hospital for close to a week before succumbing.
His Political Career and Legal Battles
Lempurkel, who once served as Laikipia North MP, had a career that was often in the public spotlight. In 2021, he was sentenced to one year in prison for assault in a case that drew widespread attention across the country.
The case stemmed from a 2016 incident in which he was accused of attacking the current Laikipia North MP, Sarah Korere, at Harambee House in Nairobi.
According to the court documents presented at the time, Lempurkel “wilfully and unlawfully assaulted Sarah Korere by slapping her on the left cheek and kicking her on the lower abdomen, thereby occasioning her actual bodily harm.”
Despite this controversy, he continued to be a strong voice in politics, known for not shying away from bold positions.
Advocate for Maa Rights
Throughout his political life, Lempurkel was vocal about issues affecting the Maa community. He often spoke passionately about land ownership, cultural preservation, and the protection of traditional community lifestyles. His firm stand on these matters earned him both loyal supporters and political rivals.
In the 2013 general election, he successfully contested the Laikipia North parliamentary seat on an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket. He managed to defeat at least four other aspirants, according to official results released by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
In November 2023, Lempurkel shifted his political base, leaving ODM to join the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), a move that many interpreted as part of his strategy to align with the country’s ruling political wave.
His Philanthropy and Community Work
Beyond politics, Lempurkel was known as a philanthropist who dedicated time and resources to helping his community.
Before joining Parliament, he worked as the Executive Director of the Ndugu Zangu Christian Community Charitable Trust, a Catholic Church-based organisation that touched the lives of many.
The foundation was instrumental in transforming the lives of children suffering from heart conditions. It facilitated and sponsored life-saving surgeries for thousands of children in top cardiac hospitals in Italy and other parts of the world.
The organisation also championed several development projects. Among them was the piping of clean water from the Ewaso Nyiro River to distant areas in Ol Donyiro and Kipsing in Isiolo County, providing relief to communities that had long struggled with water shortages.
Additionally, the trust implemented multi-million shilling initiatives that brought real change to rural communities.
A Leader Remembered
Despite his controversies, Mathew Lempurkel will be remembered as a leader who played a significant role in Laikipia politics and the Maa community at large.
His dedication to cultural preservation and philanthropy painted him as a man determined to make a mark, both in leadership and in service to society.
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