Chaos at Serut funeral as Azimio, Kenya Kwanza factions clash
The funeral service of Mount Elgon ex-MP John Serut was marred by chaos after Azimio La Umoja and Kenya Kwanza supporters clashed on Saturday.
Even security officials were not spared, with Mount Elgon Sub-county police commander James Mugo ending up in hospital after he was hit on the head by a stone.
At the service, the Kenya Kwanza team, which is allied to Deputy President William Ruto, was represented by Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang'ula while the Azimio team, allied to ODM leader Raila Odinga, had Bungoma governor Wycliffe Wangamati and Mount Elgon MP Fred Kapondi.
Trouble started when Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala trashed Odinga -- terming him as untrustworthy and incapable of leading the country. The legislator also took a swipe at Wangamati's administration, saying it had failed the electorate.
"Raila thinks he will penetrate Western by using Mukhisa Kituyi, Eugene Wamalwa, Francis Atwoli and those who are being sent home packing like Wangamati. He will be in for a rude shock," he said amid laugher from a section of the crowd.
The comments, however, were not taken well by Azimio La Umoja supporters in the crowd. A Wangamati supporter then shouted "wacha hio" (stop that) as Malala spoke, which was followed by other supporters getting up to confront each other.
As political temperatures rose, police and county government guards were forced to intervene to stop the hundreds of supporters of the two factions from engaging in physical altercations.
The funeral service conducted by the AIC Church was halted for about 30 minutes before normalcy resumed.
An image of former MP John Serut taken at his funeral service at Kapsokwony Boys High School on March 5, 2022.
Serut's family members, area residents, a section of the politicians and church leaders later condemned the fracas.
"My husband is someone who is very respected and I'm so saddened by what has happened today," Serut's widow Pamela said.
"This chaos was planed yesterday night and I had the intelligence. All am saying is that may God forgive all who planed this," she added.
Ford Kenya party leader Moses Wetang'ula (left) condoles with the wife of late Mount Elgon MP John Serut, Ms Pamela Serut, at Kapsokwony Boys High School on March 5, 2022.
Senator Wetang'ula also condemned the incident saying the chaos was uncalled for.
Bungoma county commissioner Samuel Kimiti said the police have launched investigations into the incident. He said no one had been arrested by press time.
Chopper incident
After they addressed mourners, Wetang'ula, Malala and Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga left the venue together. But while their chopper was in the air, the pilot realised that two local residents were hanging onto it. The pilot was then forced to descend and only took off again after the hangers on were removed.
Serut died two weeks ago at a Nairobi hospital after battling cancer for a while. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer.
He was elected to parliament the first time in 2002. He also served as Assistant minister for planning during the regime of President Mwai Kibaki.
In 2007, Mr Fred Kapondi unseated him.
Serut then bounced back in 2013-2017 before Kapondi sent him home again.
