After a fight between Governor James Orengo and his deputy William Oduol, chaos broke out during the funeral of Elijah Achoch, the chairman of the Siaya County Public Service Board.
At the funeral held on Saturday in Ulafu village, Alego-Usonga, Oduol was called to address the mourners. This is when trouble began.
After publicly sparring with his employer over the handling of county matters, Oduol was sharing a forum with him for the first time when a kid grabbed and snatched the microphone from him, forcing him to end his speech.
The fistfights between the supporters of Orengo and Oduol stopped the funeral ceremony. Dr. Achoch’s burial was being presided over by Bishop Haung Godia of the Anglican Church of Kenya. Despite his best efforts to diffuse the situation, the fracas continued for almost 15 minutes. Orengo was not given the chance to speak in the end.
Bishop Godia’s pleadings were ignored, and the police were requested to disperse the boisterous teenagers who attacked the main tent. Godia, who denounced the violent incident at the funeral, charged the politicians with disobeying the family’s requests to avoid politics at the funeral.
Before Oduol was called to speak, Alego-Usonga MP Samuel Atandi indicated he was interested in succeeding Orengo after ten years, meaning that he supported the county executive’s bid for reelection.
After it became known that his deputy had organized youngsters to jeer the governor, differences between Orengo and him were immediately apparent. The problems between Oduol and Orengo began two months ago when the former accused his employer, among other things, of financial mismanagement.
Oduol, who had testified before the County Assembly last month to clarify his claims, has kept up his criticism of Orengo’s management style, alleging that there is a plot to have him removed from office. The furious bishop on Saturday ordered pallbearers to carry the coffin to the burial location after Oduol was prevented from speaking to the mourners.
“Due to the confusion, we’re not going to continue with this service. After the funeral, I will therefore pray for the family who will be in the home, the bishop remarked.
In 2020, former governor Cornel Rasanga appointed Achoch to lead the board. Achoch passed away this month.