Leaders mourn Baringo Senator William Cheptumo as a humble, visionary Leader
Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen speaks during the requiem mass of Baringo Senator William Cheptumo at AIC Milimani, Nairobi on February 27, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Speaker Kingi described the late Cheptumo as a leader who embraced dialogue to resolve conflicts within the Senate.
- Whenever he was agitated, Mr Kingi said, Senator Cheptumo would always express his concerns respectfully through the chairperson.
Baringo Senator William Cheptumo has been hailed as a generous and humble leader who prioritised the interests of both the country and his constituents.
Led by Senate Speaker Amason Kingi and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, leaders who attended his memorial service at the African Inland Church (AIC) in Milimani on Thursday urged other leaders to emulate the late senator’s character for the prosperity of the nation.
Speaker Kingi described the late Cheptumo as a leader who embraced dialogue to resolve conflicts within the Senate.
Whenever he was agitated, Mr Kingi said, Senator Cheptumo would always express his concerns respectfully through the chairperson.
“We have three different types of personalities in the Senate. There are those who are moderate and those who are live wires. I can confidently tell you that the late senator was a moderate person. He always sought to understand and resolve all his issues in a balanced way.
We always say that as the Senate, we are not just a house of Parliament—we are a family. The pain of one of us is the pain of everyone. We gather not just to mourn a man whose name is synonymous with humility. The weight of his absence is still heavy,” Speaker Kingi said.
Mr Murkomen described Mr Cheptumo as a visionary leader who achieved everything he set his mind to.
“He was an inspiring father, as all his children studied law like him. Cheptumo was the same person both as a Christian and as a politician. He never changed to fit in—he always set himself apart as a leader. He was widely accepted across Baringo because of his character. We have lost a wonderful man who was a personal advisor and mentor,” Mr Murkomen, a two-term senator and current Interior Cabinet Secretary, said.
Mr Cheptumo, who was serving his fourth term in Parliament and had chaired the Senate’s National Security, Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations Committee for the past two years, was praised by fellow senators as a leader who was deeply committed to service.
Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi, who attended the memorial, prayed for strength for the family and said the county would deeply miss its selfless leader.
“We pray that God gives the family strength during this time. He was a paragon of humility. He was committed to peace and led several initiatives to foster harmony among communities in Baringo. He has done a lot for us as a constituency and county, and we will dearly miss his contribution,” Mr Cheboi said.
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot said Cheptumo was a disciplined leader who respected the structures of leadership in the Senate.
“He was always humble and respectful. As Majority Leader, he always consulted me, and whenever I issued a directive regarding a matter in the Senate, he compiled without hesitation. He was a quiet man, though he never failed to remind us of his seniority in the Senate. I am grateful that the Speaker always gave him the opportunity to contribute,” Mr Cheruiyot said.
His body will leave Lee Funeral Home on Saturday for Wilson Airport, before his burial at Arap Moi Secondary School in Bartabwa, Baringo.
Mr Cheptumo entered elective politics in 2007, serving as the MP for Baringo North for three terms. He previously served as Assistant Minister for Justice, National Cohesion, and Constitutional Affairs during former President Mwai Kibaki’s administration in 2007.
In 2022, he successfully contested the Baringo senatorial seat on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket.
In Parliament, he served on various committees, including as Chairperson of the Committee on Delegated Legislation, a member of the Departmental Committee on Justice & Legal Affairs, the House Business Committee, and the Committee on Pensions.
He also chaired the Departmental Committee on Justice & Legal Affairs.