NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 23 — A chaotic confrontation ensued in Trans Nzoia County on Friday when supporters of National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya clashed during a burial ceremony in an escalating supremacy war.
The violence prompted intervention by the police after the rival groups disrupted the burial ceremony of the wife to former nominated MCA Phillip Nyongesa.
Commenting on the incident, Wetangula called on the leaders, including Natembeya, to exercise restraint in public events, asserting that Kenya is a peaceful nation.
“There should be no sacred cows anywhere in this country. Kenya is a peaceful country,” Wetangula said.
“If [we] want to grow as a country, we need peace and respect amongst the citizenry.”
Governor Natembeya, on his part, remained resolute in his commitment to advocating for the welfare of the region and the community.
Natembeya maintained that no amount of intimidation would stop him in his resolve to stand up for the people in the region.
“They [opponents] think that if they sponsor chaos this fight [to reclaim our place] will stop,” he said.
“This is just the beginning!” the former administrator charged.
‘Full force’
Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha condemned the violent clash, labeling it “embarrassing.”
She called on State agencies to apply the full force of law without compromise.
“I want to tell the leaders, that people must stay in peace, and where there is no order, order will be brought by force, by fire,” she warned.
Nakhumicha noted that every Kenyan desires to co-exist peacefully.
Natembeya intensified his onslaught against Wetangula in February accusing a section of leaders from the Western region of failing the region and focusing on selfish interests.
The Trans Nzoia county boss dismissed leaders from the region for imposing themselves as kingpins and doing nothing to elevate the status of the region development-wise.
Natembeya accused some leaders from the community of using their political parties to auction off the community’s political strength.
“Our Luhya leaders have never sacrificed for anybody, they ride on opportunism and use their political parties to trade the community’s voting power,” Natembeya said on February 21.
