Dr Wilfred Machage, Kenya’s high commissioner to Nigeria, died in Abuja on Saturday, 19 February 2022, following a brief illness, according to the foreign affairs ministry. The 65-year-old diplomat fainted at his house and was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival in the presence of his wife.
Dr Machage was also accredited to Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Benin, Togo, Niger, and six other Central and West African countries as Nigeria’s envoy. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta named Dr Machage to the role in January 2018, after serving as an elected senator for Migori County.
“The ministry of foreign affairs regrets to announce the sudden death of Hon Dr Ambassador Wilfred Machage, Kenya high commissioner to Nigeria, which occurred today,” the ministry of foreign affairs said via a statement. “Ambassador Machage collapsed at his home and was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after at around 12.30pm, Saturday afternoon, in Abuja, Nigeria.”
President Kenyatta described the late Dr Machage as a seasoned politician, consummate diplomat and dedicated public servant who served the country “with distinction” in his condolence statement.
“I received the shocking news of the sudden death of my friend and our country’s ambassador to Nigeria Dr Wilfred Machage last evening with disbelief. A selfless person, Dr Machage will be remembered for his many years of public service over the years as a medical doctor, politician, cabinet minister and diplomat who worked tirelessly for the wellbeing of Kenyans,” Kenyatta said.
“As a politician, Dr Machage was a relentless advocate of the interests of wananchi especially Kuria and Migori residents that he represented in the National Assembly and Senate respectively,” he added.
“A gifted orator, Dr Machage will be remembered by many for his flawlessly and humorous parliamentary debates in English and Swahili languages,” the president concluded.
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