10/09/2026
It is with profound shock, deep sorrow and a very personal sense of loss that I have received the news of the passing of Bekchibei Tarus, fondly known as Gogo Nurse, of Kipkoriony Village, Lelmokwo Sub-Location, Chesumei Sub-County.
Her passing is particularly difficult for me to comprehend. At 1:29 a.m. on 9th September, I spoke with Gogo Nurse through a video call as she was being admitted at Living Room Hospital. Little did I know that this would be our final conversation. Barely ten hours later, I received the heartbreaking news that she had rested. That final encounter is a memory I will forever treasure.
I first came to know Gogo Nurse in 2010. Over the years, she became much more than a friend; she became a mother to me. Whenever I visited Kipkoriony, I was assured of the warmth of her welcome, her infectious kindness, and, more often than not, a serving of Mursik and Sinendet. Her home and Village embodied the hospitality, generosity and motherly affection for which she became known to so many.
I had also visited and checked on her in July when she was admitted at Mosoriot Sub-County Hospital. Through the years, I came to appreciate that behind the name “Gogo Nurse” was an extraordinary woman whose life was anchored in faith, compassion and service to humanity.
She earned the affectionate title Gogo Nurse through a lifetime of caring for others. Through her work in midwifery and her service with AMPATH, she attended to the needs of countless families and became a source of hope, reassurance and care to generations. Many lives were literally welcomed into this world through her hands, and many more were touched by her kindness.
She was also an outstanding pillar of Mlango SDA Church, Chebigoi SDA church before the installation of her home and long awaited Kipkoriony Sabbath School Church. She loved her church deeply and desired passionately to see it grow spiritually and numerically. She particularly loved songs of praise and continuously encouraged members to sing for the Glory of God. To her, the growth of the Church and the service of God were sources of immense joy.
Beyond the Church, she stood tall as a pillar of the wider community. She represented a generation whose leadership was expressed not through titles, but through service, sacrifice, wisdom and care for others.
At 97 years, Gogo Nurse leaves behind far more than the memory of a long life. She leaves a powerful legacy stretching across generations — a legacy of motherhood, Christian faith, community service, healing, mentorship and unconditional love.
It is a great consolation that her service and contribution were recognised and celebrated while she was still alive. Today, even in death, we continue to celebrate an exceptional woman whose life gave meaning to the words "service to humanity".
Her children and family have lost a beloved matriarch.
Those of us who experienced her motherly love have lost a mother.
Kipkoriony has lost one of its treasured elders.
The Church has lost a faithful servant and a great pillar.
The wider community has lost a woman whose life was a blessing to many.
Yet even in this hour of grief, we bow in gratitude to Almighty God for the 97 years He granted her, for the generations she nurtured, for the lives she touched, for the children she helped bring into the world, for the Church she served and for the community she loved so dearly.
On behalf of my family and the Kenya High Commission in Australia, Canberra, I convey our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family, the Kipkoriony Sabbath School Church family, friends and the entire community.
May you find strength in the knowledge that Gogo Nurse lived a life of extraordinary purpose and that her footprints remain deeply embedded in the lives of those she served.
Gogo Nurse served faithfully.
She loved generously.
She nurtured generations.
She strengthened her Church.
She served humanity.
And she leaves behind a legacy that will endure long after our tears have dried.
Fare thee well, Bekchibei Tarus — Gogo Nurse.
You ran your race.
You kept the faith.
You served your generation.
May Almighty God grant you eternal rest and comfort all those whose lives have been made poorer by your departure.
Rest in peace, Gogo Nurse. Your legacy lives on.
Kenya High Commission, Canberra
