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Former Kandara Member of Parliament David Waweru Ng'ethe has passed away after a long battle with cancer.
The news of his death was confirmed by his son, Dagoretti MP John Kiarie, who posted a heartfelt message on Twitter on Wednesday, May 10.
"The Lion has rested. Dark, dark hour. As the 3 o’clock late afternoon sun battled with a stubborn dark cloud, for superiority in the skies, a stubborn dark cancer struck a final mortal blow. Death is so final, it is unbelievable. Grief pierces to the core. 𝙰𝚌𝚝𝚜 𝟷𝟹:𝟹𝟼," wrote MP Kiarie.
Despite the MP being a celebrity and well-known politician, not much was reported about his father, who vied for the presidency three times.
Ng'ethe entered the political arena in 1981, following the court's nullification of the late George Ndung'u Mwicigi's election victory and served until 1983.
His first shot at the presidency was in 1997 when he competed against political heavyweights in a historic election that registered the highest number of presidential candidates in Kenya; 15.
They included then-President Daniel Moi, the late Mwai Kibaki, Raila Odinga, the late Micheal Kijana Wamalwa, Charity Ngilu, the late Martin Shikuku, Katama Mkangi, George Anyona, Kimani Wanyoike, Koigi Wa Wamere, Munyua Waiyaki, Godfrey Mwereria, the late Prof Wangari Maathai, Stephen Oludhe.
Waweru vied on an Umma Patriotic Party of Kenya ticket and garnered 3,526 votes, 0.06% of the total votes. Moi won with 2.4 million votes.
In the 2002 presidential election, he was again in the ring with the likes of Kibaki, first-time candidate Uhuru Kenyatta, Simeon Nyachae, and James Orengo. This time he made an improvement by garnering 10,061 votes, 0.17% of the votes. Kibaki won with 3.6 million votes.
In 2007, Waweru had his second political dance with a sitting president since his loss in 1997. By this time Kibaki had risen to the top seat and was seeking a second term.
The presidential election attracted a total of 9 candidates comprising Waweru, Kibaki, Odinga, former vice president Kalonzo Musyoka, Joseph Karani, Pius Muiru, Nazlin Omar, Kenneth Matiba and Nixon Kukubo.
This time, he garnered 5,927 votes, 0.06% of the total votes. Kibaki retained the seat after winning with 4.5 millon votes.
The former MP then retreated into a private life and not much was reported after that.