Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo on Sunday condemned the chaos witnessed on Saturday at a funeral attended by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga in Ligega, Ugenya Constituency.
Ugenya MP David Ochieng and other politicians, were allegedly heckled and forced to leave the funeral ceremony of the late trade unionist William Ohonde.
Commotion started when a man allegedly grabbed a microphone from MP Ochieng, denying him an opportunity to speak.
Ochieng was elected on his own Movement for Democracy and Growth (MDG) party ticket and ditched Raila's Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition for President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza.
As the fracas continued, Raila, Siaya Governor James Orengo and National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi sat through, quietly.
Raila later condemned the commotion as primitive.
On his part, Orengo said leaders must behave well and know what is appropriate to say in public.
Attempts to have MP Ochieng comment on what transpired bore no fruit as he was not answering phone calls or messages by the time of going to press.
MP Odhiambo urged Raila to speak candidly about the rising political intolerance in funerals in Siaya County.
He further asked the Siaya county commissioner Julius Otieno to broker peace.
"I am asking the county commissioner to call leaders to a conversation around security in funerals. It is painful to fight in funerals when a family is grieving over the loss of a loved one," he said.
The county commissioner told The Star that the Siaya county security team is very alert to tame the rising incidents of political intolerance.
"I continue to urge our people to be tolerant irrespective of one's political allegiance. However, if we find any form of incitement then we will start seeing people being arrested and taken to court," Otieno stated.
"Our democracy has come of age and we should have known how to behave politically".
