Monrovia – The death of Ma-Watta Kumba Larmie, mother of former Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., has sparked renewed debate about the human cost of high-profile government arrests, with family members and supporters linking her passing to the effects of the shock and trauma she reportedly suffered during the dramatic police operation at Ambassador Kemayah’s residence, including Ma-Watta’s apartment, that led to her son’s arrest and detention last year.
Ma-Watta died at 8:46 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Hospital in Monrovia, after months of declining health that relatives say began shortly after security officers stormed the residence of her son, Ambassador Kemayah, in the early hours of Thursday, June 26, 2025.
That morning of Thursday, June 26, 2025, more than two dozens of heavily armed officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) reportedly surrounded Ambassador Kemayah’s home from midnight to early morning just approaching daylight, entered and conducted search and seizure operations everywhere at his residence, including his late mother’s apartment, bathroom and there, arrested and detained him at the Monrovia Central Prison in connection with an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of humanitarian rice donated to Liberia by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center of Saudi Arabia in 2023, an allegation that Ambassador Kemayah vehemently denied and termed as persecution and political witchhunting by the Boakai-Koung Administration.
Family members say the operation unfolded in the presence of Ma-Watta Kumba Larmie, who was at the house when the security forces arrived and personally experienced her apartment, including her bathroom, being searched by security forces of the Boakai-Koung Administration, who found absolutely nothing wrong in their entire search and seizure operations.
According to relatives, Ma-Watta who before the security operations in Ambassador Kemayah’s residence was hypertensive, was overwhelmed by the sudden, shocking, rude and traumatic awakening from her sleep to see the presence of armed officers in her bed room and bathroom and the heavy consistent knocks of the gates and very loud and threatening screaming by securities of the Government of Liberia who had gone to arrest Ambassador Kemayah and conduct search and seizure operations and the news that her son was being taken into custody.
Witnesses say Ma-Watta burst out weeping and collapsed shortly afterwards, and was attended to.
According to Family sources, from the June 26, 2025 search and seizure operations of the Liberian Government security forces of Ambassador Kemayah’s residence, including but not limited to the apartment of Ma-Watta, the arrest and detention of her son, Former Foreign Minister Kemayah, she continued to experience deteriorating health complications as a result of the severe shock, rude awakening and trauma believed to be encountered from the Government of Liberia clamp down at Ambassador Kemayah’s residence.
Despite months of medical attention, Ma-Watta’s health condition reportedly worsened, and she was on uninterrupted life-support, that is, oxygen, for more than one month up to her death at 8:46 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
For the Kemayah Family and supporters of the Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE), the death of Ma-Watta Kumba Larmie represents more than a situation directly or indirectly linked to a search and seizure, arrest and imprisonment operations of her son, Ambassador Kemayah on false and misleading allegations of misusing the Saudi-donated rice, which he has and continues to unequivocally denied any involvement of, whatsoever, it has become a symbol of what they describe as the emotional and personal toll of the Boakai-Koung led government actions against political opponents, describing the late Mother of Liberia’s Former Foreign Minister and Political Leader of MOVEE, Ma-Watta Kumba Larmie as the first human casualty and Martyr of the reported persecution and political witchhunting of Ambassador Kemayah and other political opponents of the Boakai-Koung Administration.
Ambassador Kemayah, who is the Political Leader and Standard of MOVEE, has repeatedly spoken about the effect the search and seizure operations and his arrest and imprisonment had on his family, particularly his mother.
At a recent graduation ceremony organized by the movement for 49 women and girls who completed a vocational skills training program at the Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr. Women Empowerment And Vocational Skills Training Program, Ambassador Kemayah described how the events of June 26, 2025, deeply affected his mother’s health.
During his remarks, Ambassador Kemayah also spoke briefly about personal challenges he has faced in recent months, including, but not limited to travel ban out of Liberia, including for medical since last year August noting that “government hunt against him and others for supporting the comeback of former President Weah” had deeply affected his family, particularly his mother, who he said became critically ill as a result of severe shock and trauma after securities entered her apartment at Ambassador Kemayah’s residence during the early hours of June 26, 2025 to conduct search following the arrest of Ambassador Kemayah allegedly for misuse of Saudi donated rice and the effect of learning about his imprisonment and that at the time before her death was still undergoing medical attention on oxygen.
According to him, the trauma she experienced that morning marked the beginning of a prolonged intensification of medical struggle and complications from which she never recovered up to her unfortunate death at 8:46 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Hospital.
Former Foreign Minister Kemayah was arrested alongside Former First Lady of Liberia and former Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Thelma E. Duncan-Sawyer, Madam Mary T. Broh, former Director-General of the General Services Agency (GSA) and Acting Mayor of Monrovia, and Henry O. Williams, Executive Director of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) amongst others.
The officials were detained as authorities launched an investigation into the handling and distribution of the Saudi-donated rice intended for vulnerable communities.
While the case has continued to generate legal and political debate, the death of Ma-Watta Kumba Larmie has added a deeply personal dimension to the controversy.
Supporters of the former foreign minister, Ambassador Kemayah argue that the circumstances surrounding the arrest, particularly the early morning operation at his residence, placed unnecessary emotional strain on his family.
They say the incident illustrates the consequences of politically sensitive investigations that extend beyond courtrooms and public offices into the private lives of families.
Community members who knew Ma-Watta Kumba Larmie described her as a devoted mother and respected matriarch whose final months were marked by illness and emotional distress.
As news of her passing spreads, sympathizers say her death underscores the need for authorities to exercise caution and humanity when carrying out law enforcement operations on mere allegations that affect not only public officials but also their families.
Funeral arrangements for the late Ma-Watta Kumba Larmie are expected to be announced by the family in the coming days, as her remains have been deposited at the Samuel A. Stryker Funeral Home.
