NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 18 – President William Ruto has expressed heartfelt condolences to Tiaty Member of Parliament William Kamket and his wife, Data Commissioner Immaculate Kassait, following the death of their 13-year-old son, Bill Ballot Kassait Junior.
The family has been plunged into mourning, though the circumstances surrounding the boy’s death remain unclear.
“We extend our sincere condolences to Hon. William Kamket and his family following the loss of their beloved son, Bill Ballot Kassait Jnr,”
“ It is deeply painful to lose a young life filled with promise and potential. We stand with you and support you during this difficult time. Rest in Peace, Bill,”President Ruto mourned
The news was also confirmed by United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party digital strategist Antonellah Kakuko, who relayed sentiments of support to the grieving family.
“Go well, Bill Junior Ballot. Your light will forever remain in our hearts,” Kakuko wrote. “May the Almighty grant Hon. William Kamket and his wife, Immaculate Kassait, the strength, comfort, and peace to endure this painful loss. May they find grace to mourn their beloved son and courage to carry on in his memory.”
Friends, colleagues, and well-wishers have taken to social media to offer messages of support, prayers, and comfort to the family during this difficult period.
Kassait is a prominent politician in the Rift Valley region who currently serves as the Member of Parliament for Tiaty Constituency.
He is well known for his outspoken nature, especially on matters concerning banditry. Kamket has been vocal in defending the Pokot community amid recurring clashes between pastoralist groups involved in banditry.
He joined politics in 2013 when he was first elected as the Speaker of the Baringo County Assembly, a position he held until 2017. In the 2017 general elections, Kamket successfully vied for the Tiaty parliamentary seat, winning his first term as Member of Parliament.
He was re-elected during the 2022 general elections on a KANU ticket under the Azimio la Umoja coalition, led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Before joining politics, William Kamket served as an Editor at the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
He also worked as a Hansard Reporter at the Kenya National Assembly from 2004 to 2007. Prior to that, Kamket was a Correspondent for The EastAfrican from 2000 to 2002.
Earlier in his career, he served as a Hansard Reporter at the Kenya National Assembly from 1997 to 1998 and as a Reporter for Nation Newspapers from 1996 to 1997.
Immaculate Kassait, MBS is the first Kenya Data Commissioner with 12 years working experience in the Public Sector managing complex project in governance, training, compliance and strategy. She is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya of 14 years standing. She is a Building Resource in Democracy Governance and Elections (BRIDGE) facilitator.
Immaculate holds a Masters in Business Administration from USIU Africa, a post Graduate Diploma in Law from Kenya School of Law, and an Undergraduate Degree in Law from Makerere University.
In November 2020, she was appointed as the first Data Commissioner in the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC), and has been instrumental in setting up institutional structures and the legal framework for the Institution.
She was the Chair of the taskforce that developed the three sets of regulations that led to the operationalization of the Data Protection Act Kenya 2019. Under her leadership, ODPC developed its inaugural strategic plan 2022-2025. She has further been instrumental in positioning Kenya in the Data Protection Map through membership to various international organization on data protection.
Previously she worked at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission in different portfolios and was key in setting up institutional and management structure for the Electoral management body as the first woman responsible for Voter Registration and Electoral Operation, her contribution to the institution was the development a data-base of registered voters using modern technology of 19.6 M voters and the implementation of six complex elections procedures in one day.
