Kitui Governor Malombe forced to flee former mayor's burial
Pallbearers remove former Kitui Mayor Martha Mwangangi's casket from a podium to take it back to a house after angry mourners disrupted her funeral in Kyanika, Kitui East on December 23, 2016 demanding that Kitui Governor Julius Malombe leaves the event. PHOTO | THOMAS WAITA | AFP
What you need to know:
Chaos erupted soon after Julius Malombe and his wife Edith Mawia arrived at Mwangangi’s home in Kyanika, Kitui escorted by anti-riot police and men dressed in black.
He ignored the commotion that greeted him and proceeded to sit.
Angry mourners on Friday pelted Kitui Governor Julius Malombe with stones and forced him to flee the burial of former mayor Martha Mwangangi.
Chaos erupted soon after Dr Malombe and his wife Edith Mawia arrived at Mrs Mwangangi’s home in Kyanika village in Kitui escorted by anti-riot police and 50 men dressed in black. Dr Malombe ignored the commotion that greeted him and proceeded to sit at the VIP tent.
Dr Malombe was later pelted with stones as he tried to force entry into the former mayor’s compound.
Mrs Mwangangi was killed last week by a county vehicle during demonstrations.
Dr Malombe has insisted that the death was a pure accident and that leaders should not politicise the matter for political mileage.
Things got worse after the master of ceremony Ben Kikemu announced that the bereaved family had written a letter to the governor asking him not attend the burial ceremony because he would cause them further agony.
“This family communicated to the governor in writing that he is not welcome here. Why did he have to defy our wish?” Mr Kikemu posed.
The requiem mass and burial proceedings were being conducted at a field adjacent to the former Mayor’s home.
