Musa Jakadala mourns former MP Phoebe Asiyo in emotional tribute
Veteran musician Musa Jakadala pens a heartfelt tribute for former Karachuonyo MP and women’s rights trailblazer Phoebe Muga Asiyo, who passed away in North Carolina on July 17, 2025, aged 93
Taking to his official Instagram account, Jakadala, in an emotional post shared on July 17, 2025, described her as a matriarch who carried stories and projected the strength of Luo women.
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Jakadala further honoured Mama Asiyo not only as a national icon but as a lioness whose roar continues to inspire girls, women, and artists to dream, lead, and speak truth to power.
“A matriarch, one who has embodied the wits of Nyii Luo through the canons of history Mama Phoebe Asiyo, has rested. From the villages of Karachuonyo to the corridors of power, Mama Asiyo carried the stories and projected the strength of Luo women,” he mourned.
“The drums will beat slow this evening as the lioness rests, but her roar lives on in every girl who dares to lead and every artist like us who speaks against injustice. Shine on, Mama, we salute you.”
Asiyo’s Death
The former Karachuonyo MP died at the age of 92.
According to a statement released by her family on Thursday, July 17, 2025, Asiyo passed away peacefully in her sleep while in North Carolina, USA.
“With heavy hearts, the Asiyo family shares the profound loss of our cherished mother, Hon. Dr. Phoebe Muga Asiyo, who has peacefully passed away in North Carolina, USA. Her presence and love will be deeply missed by all who knew her,” the statement read in part.
“We kindly ask for your understanding and patience as we navigate this difficult time. Details regarding the memorial services and funeral arrangements will be communicated soon.”
Life history
She was born in 1932 in Kendu Bay, Homa Bay County, to a Seventh-Day Adventist pastor. Asiyo rose from modest beginnings to become one of Kenya’s most influential voices for women and justice.
She broke ground as the first African woman to head Kenya’s prison system as Senior Superintendent of Prisons, where she introduced reforms to improve conditions for female inmates, including access to sanitary care. and was also the first African president of Maendeleo ya Wanawake in the 1950s, setting a strong foundation for women’s empowerment across the country through education, leadership, and economic development.
In politics, Asiyo served as the MP for Karachuonyo in two non-consecutive terms, becoming one of the most enduring female legislators of her time. In 1997, she introduced a motion in Parliament pushing for affirmative action to boost women’s participation in politics.
Although the motion was defeated, it would later inspire the two-thirds gender rule entrenched in the 2010 Constitution.
Her wisdom and strength touched generations. She mentored upcoming women leaders and made history as the first woman to be made a Luo elder, an honour that reflected her towering influence not just in politics, but in cultural spaces as well.
Asiyo also served as a UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador and was a commissioner in the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission.
