Wetangula shouldn't call himself a kingpin after Trans Nzoia funeral chaos, MP Amisi says

Saboti Member of Parliament Caleb Amisi has criticised National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula for alleged involvement in Friday’s chaos at a funeral in Goseta, Trans Nzoia County.

The burial of Sandra Nyongesa, the wife of former Nominated MCA Phillip Nyongesa, was disrupted after Wetangula’s supporters and those of Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya openly clashed and police had to intervene.

MP Amisi said the incident painted the two leaders in a bad light and that Weangula should not engage in such violence if he is to be respected as a regional leader in Western Kenya.

“When you see a whole so-called speaker; they call themselves kingpins, third-in-command, mobilising youth to a funeral, why are you calling yourself a kingpin?” the MP said during Tuesday’s Day Break program on Citizen TV.

Pressed to substantiate his allegations that Wetangula was directly involved in the chaos, the MP claimed a part of the youth groups who clashed admitted to being mobilised by the National Assembly speaker.

“It’s the youth who told us who mobilised them. As much as Natembeya is wrong, the speaker is also wrong,” Amisi said.

Amisi said Wetangula “should not have played into Natembeya’s hands” but should instead have chosen to not participate in the battle.

“If you are a leader in a region and see Natembeya mobilising people to heckle, as a speaker, provide leadership. Have you seen Raila mobilising goons to go to Nyanza? Yet we have had people going against him but he does not behave that way,” he said, referring to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga who is regarded as a regional leader in the Luo-Nyanza region.

“He puts himself on a pedestal and he looks like a leader,” Amisi said of Odinga, adding: “Politics is about perception.”

Friday was the first time in months that Wetangula and Natembeya were sharing a podium. The two have not been seeing eye-to-eye and have openly spoken about Luhya unity and the battle for a so-called kingpin.