Drama and fistfights ensued at a funeral in Kimilili constituency when a bodyguard attached to Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati attacked Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa.
Trouble started when Barasa accused Wangamati of failing to initiate any projects in Kimilili constituency.
“The worst mistake Bungoma made was electing Wycliffe Wangamati as governor. The man is a total failure,” Barasa said.
Barasa said that despite Bungoma getting Sh12 billion every year, there was little to show for it and all the governor was doing was bragging about projects that were not initiated by the county.
It was at this point that, Hassan Karim, a bodyguard attached to Wangamati, shot up, snatched the microphone from the MP and tried to strangle him to the surprise of the mourners.
Wangamati was not present during the funeral of Oripha Wasilwa, mother of lawyer Saul Wasilwa in Kibingei. The funeral was interrupted for over an hour.
Mourners, who rose to defend Barasa, attacked the bodyguard and beat him to the ground.
It took the intervention of Barasa to save Karim from the angry mourners.
“Don’t kill him, wachana na yeye (let him be),” Barasa appealed to the mourners on the microphone that had now been returned to him by supporters.
When the mourners failed to heed his plea, he walked to where Karim was being beaten, took him by the hand and put him in his vehicle for safety.
Speaking to the Star on the phone, Barasa accused Wangamati and Health chief officer Patrick Wandili of paying youths to harm him.
“This kind of politics is retrogressive and primitive, everyone should be allowed to say what they think, and the remedy is replying, not violence,” he said.
Wandili distanced himself from the fiasco, saying he and Governor Wangamati were not present during the fiasco.
“Neither myself nor the governor were present during the funeral. I wonder why someone should blame us for such theatrics, criminal liability isn't transferable,” he said.
Wangamati could not be reached for comment and did not reply to phone calls or text messages.