Kanishka Senanayake, a former Colombo District parliamentary candidate and the son of former Colombo mayor Rosy Senanayake, has died at the age of 41. He is reported to have died after a sudden illness.
Former minister Harin Fernando announced the death in a social media post. “Gone from our sight, but never from our hearts. Rest easy, brother,” he wrote.
Senanayake contested the 2020 parliamentary election from the Colombo District on the Samagi Jana Balawegaya ticket. He had been active in politics from a young age and was associated with both the United National Party and the SJB, following his mother’s move between the two. He also held a number of corporate directorships.
He was the eldest of three children of Rosy Senanayake and the late Athula Senanayake, who died in August 2020. Rosy Senanayake was elected Mayor of Colombo in 2018, the first woman to hold the post, and was earlier a UNP parliamentarian and state minister.
Funeral arrangements had not been announced at the time of writing.
