NAIROBI, Kenya -                                             Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso's death is a blow to the country's leadership.

“I have received the sad news of the passing away of Laboso with utter disbelief,” he said in a statement.

“The cruel hand of death has robbed our nation of a bold and illustrious leader, "Uhuru added.

The president described Laboso, as one of the three women governors in the country, an outstanding and courageous servant leader who stood out as an icon of women leadership.

As a scholar who transitioned into political leadership, Laboso will be remembered for her passion for girl’s education.

She initiated and supported numerous projects in Bomet and across Kenya, local media reported.

Laboso, 58, died of cancer at Nairobi Hospital.

She had just returned to the country from the UK where she had sought specialised treatment.