Veteran Maasai politician John Keen is dead

Former Cabinet Minister and veteran Maasai politician, John Keen, is dead.

Mr Keen died at the age of 86 after a short illness.

Mr Keen was a vocal defender of the Maasai Community and served as the Kajiado North Member of Parliament for over ten years.

He passed on Sunday, December 25 at 3:00am at the Aga Khan Hospital while undergoing treatment.

Mr Keen was unwell for some time and had recently travelled to South Africa for medication.

Born to a German father, Keen was among the biggest land owners in the country and sensitized the Maa Community on the importance of defending their land.

In September this year, Mr Keen was admitted at a Nairobi Hospital after suffering health complications.

Several leaders including Wiper Movement’s Kalonzo Musyoka and Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioner, Thomas Letangule, visited the veteran politician.

Last year, Mr Keen became one of the biggest beneficiaries in the expansion of city road network in a multi-billion shilling sale of land to the government.

He was also a defender of wildlife conservation. In 2015, he donated a 300-acre piece of land to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), which he named after his daughter, Silole.