Peter Soita Shitanda was born on 09/11/1959 and ended his earthly journey on 24/05/2016.
He was the MP for Malava Constituency from 1997-2013. He was Minister appointed by President Mwai Kibaki on the PNU side of Grand Coalition of 2008- 2013.
He vied for the Governorship of Kakamega County in the 2013 General Elections and lost to Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.
President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed him Chairman of the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) in 2015.
Hon. Soita Shitanda has left a rich legacy in Western Province for the 5 years he served as a Cabinet Minister in the Kibaki Presidency.
He fought for the establishment of Butali Sugar Company in his Malava Constituency and which factory has had to fight for its existence from its neighbouring competition West Kenya Sugar Company. The two Sugar Companies are owned by Asian families.
Butali Sugar Company presently employs 830 people and serves over 10,000 farmers.
Soita Shitanda while Minister of Housing in the Kibaki Presidency steered the construction of dozens of five storeyed houses by the National Housing Corporation (NHC) that fell under his Ministry at Kakamega town and which were sold to residents of Western Kenya.
Soita Shitanda equally spearheaded the construction of modern storeyed classrooms and administration and staff blocks in Mukhaweli Primary School in Kanduyi Constituency, Bungoma County and Bondeni and Amalemba Primary Schools in Kakamega town Kakamega County.
Hon. Soita Shitanda was a soft spoken man who understood needs of his people of Malava Constituency, Kakamega County and Western Province and in five years left indelible marks of what the region requires through action oriented leadership to transform the region being quality education for the youth, planned urbanization to create economies of scale that modern cities unleash and industrialization the creator of employment.
Those who continue to spew leadership of grumbling, rhetoric, chest thumping, name calling, pointing fingers at other communities for Western Province under performance should be ashamed of themselves.
If each of those who occupied the Ministerial posts from Western Province since independence had done what Soita Shitanda did in five years as a Minister then Western will have a totally different socio-economic complexion.
Hon. Soita Shitanda deserves to have his name given to a road, school or other institution in the region for he did what a leader ought to do for his people improve their standard of living, change their lives.
Fare thee gentle soul giant of a leader of deeds for Western Hon. Soita Shitanda your legacy is safe and assured.
God bless and strengthen your family who mourn your passing.