Public Works PS Mariam El-Maawy dies

Public Works PS Mariam El-Maawy dies

Public Works PS Mariam El-Maawy has succumbed to injuries sustained after Al-Shabaab militants ambushed her convoy at Milihoi, Lamu County in July.

The Public Works Principal Secretary died while receiving treatment in South Africa.

In July this year, Al-Shabaab militants briefly abducted PS El-Maawy and her entourage at Milihoi along the Lamu-Mpeketoni highway after attending a government function before being rescued by Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers 45 minutes later.

At least four security officers, including Ms El-Maawy’s driver, were killed in the operation.

The PS was later airlifted in a KDF helicopter to a hospital in Nairobi. She had a bullet lodged in her left shoulder and burns on her legs.

President Kenyatta’s Condolences

President Uhuru Kenyatta has condoled the family saying that he was “deeply distressed to learn that Mariam El Maawy has passed away praising her her as a dedicated public servant, an accomplished architect and a patriot.”

Early in her childhood, she showed a real aptitude for study, and the diligence, which drove her to qualify as an architect at the University of Nairobi, and later to earn a Masters degree in South Africa.

She established a successful practice, which she led for many years, but she never allowed her work to get in the way of public service. Whether serving as a council member at Mombasa Polytechnic, or leading efforts to conserve Mombasa’s architectural heritage, she found ways to put her knowledge and skill at the service of her community.

Her achievements, her expertise, her public spirit, and her patriotism meant that it was a pleasure for President Kenyatta to invite her to join his administration, as Principal Secretary for Lands — and later as Principal Secretary of Works — in the Ministry of Lands and Housing. She served with distinction in both offices, and her loss will certainly be felt.

President Kenyatta and all who had the honour of working with her will remember her warmth, and her quiet, firm dedication to serving Kenyans to the very best of her ability.

The President prays that Allah rests the soul of PS El-Maawy in peace, and that Allah comforts her family, and all who knew and loved her, in this moment of sorrow and grief.

Tags:

President Uhuru Kenyatta terrorism Al Shabaab Uhuru shabaab terrorists El Maawy Mariam El Maawy Public Works PS Lamu terror attacks Lands PS Milihoi attack

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