Laikipia is mourning the death of Mrs. Gladys Kariuki, a revered community leader whose life was marked by grace, strength, and unwavering service to others. She passed away on Sunday at Nairobi Hospital while undergoing treatment. She was 80.
Mrs. Kariuki, widow of the late G.G. Kariuki, Laikipia’s first Senator and long serving Laikipia West MP, was remembered as a powerful force in public life and a source of strength behind her husband’s political career.
In a moving tribute, Laikipia County Secretary Wahome Koinange described her as a woman of “profound influence” whose legacy will endure through the lives she touched.
“She lived an extraordinary life, both as a pillar of support to her husband and as a transformative leader in her own right,” he said. “Mama Mwangi stood firmly beside a man entrusted with great responsibility.”
A former councillor, teacher, and longtime Chairperson of the Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation in Laikipia, Mrs. Kariuki was also a respected member of the PCEA Women’s Guild.
She was known for fiercely championing justice, dignity, and equal opportunity for rural women, advocating selflessly and without seeking personal recognition.
“Those of us who knew her saw the lasting impact of her work in the lives she transformed, the voices she uplifted, and the doors she helped open for generations of women and girls,” Koinange said.
Beyond her public service, Koinange spoke of a deeply personal bond with Mrs. Kariuki and her family.
“In 1996, when our family was devastated by the passing of our mother, it was she who stepped in, not out of obligation, but out of deep compassion. She became a mother to us in every sense of the word.”
He also eulogized her as a woman of deep faith, whose wisdom and kindness left a lasting impression in both church and community circles.
Mrs. Kariuki is survived by her children, including Robert Mwangi, a respected academic at the University of Nairobi, Patrick Mathenge, Jimmy Waigwa, Jane Wangui, and Richard Mubia.
“We have lost a matriarch, a mentor, a mother. Rest in eternal peace, Mama Mwangi. Your legacy will live on in all of us you so generously raised and inspired,” said Koinange.