The three were tasked to present themselves to the DCI in the region on Tuesday (today), to explain how they were involved in the skirmishes.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has summoned Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa, former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa, and Matungu Member of Parliament Peter Oscar Nabulindo.
According to Western Regional Police Commissioner Kiprono Lang’at, the three are on the spot over the chaos that erupted over the weekend during the burial of a former chief in Mayoni Ward, Kakamega County, leaving several people injured, including a police officer.
The three were tasked to present themselves to the DCI in the region on Tuesday (today), to explain how they were involved in the skirmishes.
DCI director Mohamed Amin speaking as DCI’s Anti-Narcotics Unit received state-of-the-art equipment from the United States through the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) on February 8, 2023. /DCI
“I would like to tell Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa, Matungu MP Peter Nabulindo, and former Sports CS Rashid Echesa to avail themselves at the Western Regional Police Department DCI department [to] explain what transpired at the Kakamega funeral,” he said.
Lang’at further announced that the police initiated an operation to arrest those accountable for the violence, which resulted in injuries to over 100 people.
“Additionally, we have started an operation looking for those involved in the fracas, and we have so far arrested two of them. The operation will continue until we ensure that we have arrested all people involved,” he added.
The summons followed violent confrontations between their supporters at the funeral which led to the destruction of property worth millions of shillings.
Amid the incident, chaos broke out, injuring several attendees, including a police officer and other security personnel who had intervened to restore order. Some individuals sustained bleeding wounds, with the injured officer receiving aid from his colleagues.
The situation escalated rapidly as opposing groups threw chairs at each other, further distressing the grieving family, who also had to cope with additional damages.
After the incident, Barasa and Echesa both released statements holding each other responsible. In a statement on Saturday, February 8, Barasa denounced the event, blaming Echesa and his supporters for the chaos.
“I condemn the violence that occurred today in Matungu during Mzee Agostino Odongo’s funeral. As a Senior Chief & Director at Mumias Outgrowers Company, he deserved a dignified send-off, not the chaos caused by Rashid Echesa. May Mzee rest in eternal peace,” he said.
“It was quite uncouth, uncivilized, and uncultured for Governor Fernandes Barasa to storm the funeral procession of the Late Mzee Agostino Odongo with loutish and discourteous youths in the name of intimidating leaders who don’t subscribe to his leadership,” he claimed.
After the incident, both Nabulindo and Echesa were put in a difficult situation when the deceased’s family returned the cow and monetary contributions they had given for the funeral.
The family explained that it was highly inappropriate for the politicians to attend the funeral, where they were meant to pay their respects, only to cause a disturbance by trying to take control of the proceedings. Additionally, the family stated that they were returning the gifts as a lesson to other politicians who frequently disrupted funerals.
”He cannot bring this and disrupt our father’s funeral. He was a very peaceful man, so shame on him and anything that he has given thinking that will calm the situation,” a daughter to the deceased said in a recorded video.
”This is a lesson to every politician that you cannot come to people’s funerals and then you take charge of the funeral program,” the former administrator’s son weighed in.
They subsequently took the donated cow to Nabulindo’s office in Matungu, where it was accepted by some of the staff present at the compound.
