Kenya's former Head of Public Service Dr. Richard Erskine Frere Leakey is dead. 

President Uhuru Kenyatta made the announcement of his death on Sunday. 

In his condolence message, Kenyatta hailed Leakey for the prominent role in ensuring a vibrant civil society in Kenya. 

"Dr Leakey, a globally renown Kenyan paleoanthropologist and conservationist, has over the years served our country with distinction in several public service roles among them as Director of the National Museums of Kenya and Chairman of the Kenya Wildlife Service Board of Directors.

"Besides his distinguished career in the public service, Dr Leakey is celebrated for his prominent role in Kenya's vibrant civil society where he founded and successfully ran a number of institutions among them the conservation organization WildlifeDirect.

"On behalf of the people of Kenya, my family and on my own behalf, I send heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the family, friends and associates of Dr. Richard Leakey during this difficult period of mourning," part of the statement by the Head of State read.