The body of former Karachuonyo MP Phoebe Asiyo will be airlifted from the US to Kenya on August 4, 2025, the family has disclosed as they finalise burial arrangements. 

According to a statement released by her son, Caesar Asiyo, an official at Victory Fish Farm, a series of memorial events has been planned in Nairobi and in her home village of Wikondiek, Homa Bay County. 

On Tuesday, August 5, 2025, there will be a viewing of the body at Lee Funeral Home, followed by a fundraising event at Maxwell Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Nairobi.

A church service in her honour will be held the following day, Wednesday, August 6, at the same church. 

“On Thursday, August 7, the body will be flown from Nairobi to Kisumu International Airport, and then transported to Wikondiek village. The final funeral service and burial will take place on Friday, August 8, 2025, at her family home in Wikondiek,’’ explained Asiyo. 

Asiyo, who passed away recently in the United States, was one of Kenya’s pioneer female leaders. 

She began her career as a teacher and rose to a fearless advocate for gender equality and social justice. 

Her death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from leaders. 

On July 21, 2025, Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Secretary General Akello Misori described Asiyo as a formidable leader who fought against deeply rooted gender barriers in education and politics.  

“Phoebe Asiyo was not just a leader—she was a force,” Misori said in Kisumu. 

“In her formative years, she defied the odds, shattered barriers, and stood up to male chauvinism that dominated the political landscape. She didn’t wait for change—she became the change,” said Misori. 

Misori urged Kenyan women to draw inspiration from Asiyo’s life and take up leadership roles without fear. 

“I call upon our women—young and old—not to shy away from leadership,” he said.  

“Let the story of Phoebe Asiyo be your guiding light. Step forward. Contest. Lead. Break the barriers, just like she did. Politics is not a man’s game—it is everyone’s right and duty,” said Misori 

He noted that much of the progress made in gender parity in Kenya is due to trailblazers like Asiyo, who forged a path for future generations despite resistance and societal pressure.  

“May the Almighty comfort her loved ones.”  

Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation chairperson Rahab Muiu eulogised Asiyo as a “distinguished stateswoman, a trailblazer, a matriarch, and an unwavering champion for the rights and dignity of women in Kenya.” 

“Mama Phoebe was many things to many people. She has been celebrated across the nation and on our social media platforms, and rightfully so. Today, we pause to remember her as a pioneer of the women’s empowerment journey; a fearless voice that spoke when others remained silent, and a towering figure whose leadership helped shape the course of women’s participation in public life,” Muiu said. 

She went on: “Mama believed deeply in women’s leadership. Her life was a testimony to that belief. She sacrificed, she persisted, and she dared to dream of a time when women would sit at decision-making tables, not as guests, but as equals.: 

Muiu cited one of Asiyo’s most defining moments as leading a delegation of women to Kapenguria to meet the founding father, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. 

“This was no ordinary visit; it was an act of bold negotiation at a time when women’s voices were barely acknowledged. Because of her courage, the seeds of affirmative action were sown. Today, we enjoy the fruits of that labour through the increased presence of women in leadership and governance.”