Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has condemned the violence witnessed during a burial ceremony in Mukoyani Village, Ikolomani Constituency, on Saturday, April 11.
The violence during the burial of Madam Caroline Khamete, the Principal of Kakamega Polytechnic, left several people injured and vehicles damaged, with Senator Khalwale denouncing the incident as “barbaric and senseless”.
“The event where local politicians played a prominent role by use of armed goons to attack mourners, and destroyed property during the burial session was a very unfortunate & shameful incident, to have happened in the County in the full glare of security officials, disregarding law and order,” Khalwale said in a statement on Sunday, April 12.
Khalwale, a native of Ikolomani Constituency, rues that the violence ruined what was supposed to be a solemn occassion to bid farewell to a “dedicated” public servant.
“…Instead turned out into a scene of chais and bloodshed, due to reckless actions of rowdy youth allegedly allied to Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa and County Woman Representative Elsie Muhanda,” he added.
During the incident, rival groups engaged in a physical confrontation that saw crude weapons being used to injure several people.
At least one person was seriously wounded after being stabbed in the arm, and is currently recuperating in hospital.
The violence was so severe that the bereaved family was forced to temporarily remove the body of the deceased from the service for safety.
Reports indicate that even as the burial proceeded, attackers smashed the windows of the hearse and continued with their thirst to cause further damage.
This incident is the latest in an escalating and public feud between Barasa and Muhanda, with the two leaders desperately fighting over the control of ODM Party in Kakamega County. Muhanda has declared her intentions to unseat Barasa as Kakamega Governor in 2027.
Khalwale is now calling upon the National Police Service and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to move swiftly, arrest and prosecute the individuals responsible for the violence.
“We demand that both Governor Barasa and Hon. Muhanda take full responsibility for the conduct of their supporters and publicly commit to ending the cycle of “goonism” that is “bleeding” Kakamega,” Khalwale demanded.
