Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o has opened up about his 15-year journey battling Prostrate Cancer.
Speaking on Friday, July 10, during the Africa Cancer Foundation 15th anniversary, Governor Nyong’o revealed that being diagnosed with cancer became the defining moment that reshaped his life and inspired the creation of the foundation.
Governor Nyong’o recounted the moment he received the life-changing diagnosis, describing it as a painful experience that forced him to confront his own mortality.
“Fifteen years ago, I sat in a doctor’s office and heard words that would change the trajectory of my life: prostate cancer. It is a moment that strips you bare. It confronts you with your own fragility, with the terrifying silence of mortality,” he narrated.
The Kisumu Governor noted that the diagnosis led him and his wife, Dorothy Nyong’o, to commit not only to overcome the disease but also to help other Kenyans access quality cancer care regardless of their financial circumstances.
“Mama Kisumu, Dorothy Nyong’o, and I made a solemn vow not only to survive, but to ensure that no Kenyan, regardless of the weight of their purse or the emptiness of their pockets, would have to walk the cancer journey alone, abandoned and without hope. That vow became the Africa Cancer Foundation,” said Nyong’o.
The foundation has spent the last 15 years advocating for improved cancer policies, expanding awareness campaigns and increasing access to screening and treatment across Kenya.
The anniversary celebrations, held under the theme ‘Own Your Cancer Story’, brought together healthcare professionals, cancer survivors, development partners, donors, family members and supporters.
The event was attended by Dr. Gladwell Kiarie, who served as the chief guest.
During the celebrations, Nyong’o said the foundation’s work has been driven by the realities faced by thousands of cancer patients across the country.
“Our mission is not abstract. It is flesh and blood. It is the mother in Kilifi who cannot afford chemotherapy. It is the young man in Kibra who fears the diagnosis more than the disease itself. It is to restore hope, uphold dignity, and provide quality cancer care to every single one of them,” he stated.
The Kisumu county boss also observed that the organisation has played a key role in strengthening cancer advocacy and promoting early detection in communities where the disease was once surrounded by stigma and silence.
“We have advanced policies that once seemed beyond reach. We have expanded screening and awareness to villages where cancer was once spoken about only in whispers.
“We have proven, with the stubborn persistence of those who have looked death in the eye, that advocacy transforms systems, while service changes lives,” he remarked.
The celebrations also saw the launch of the Africa Cancer Foundation’s Mobile Clinic, which will provide cancer screening services through outreach programmes in markets and other public spaces, bringing healthcare closer to communities.
“As we celebrate this milestone, I do so not with the triumph of conquest, but with the quiet resolve of one who knows the battle is far from over. We renew our solemn commitment to building a future where cancer is detected early, more lives are saved, and where every Kenyan can face this journey with the dignity, hope, and the support they deserve,” Governor Nyong’o stated.
