Nasa leaders to attend burial of ex-MP Francis Obongita

Nasa flag bearer Raila Odinga is expected in Kakamega town for a meeting with ODM party aspirants today before heading for the burial of former Mumias MP Francis Obongita.

Kakamega deputy governor Prof Philip Kutima told Nation.co.ke that Mr Odinga will hold a brief meeting with party aspirants before heading for the burial in Malaha village, Mumias East constituency.

“It will be a very brief meeting with ODM aspirants from Kakamega County before Mr Odinga heads to the burial. He has a tight schedule. He will be flying to Nairobi from Mumias thereafter,” said Prof Kutima who is the Kakamega County ODM chairman.

Nasa co-principals Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula, as well as Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, are expected at the burial.

And in what could shape into a battle for political supremacy for a piece of the Western region, Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali, is expected to lead a team of Jubilee politicians from the county at the burial.

The Nasa brigade is expected to use the burial to test the political mood in the backyard of Mr Washiali, who is a key Jubilee point man in the region.

Mr Obongita, 85, died two weeks ago at the Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu while receiving treatment for a diabetic related condition.

He served as minister for local government in former President Jomo Kenyatta’s administration.

Western region police chief Mr Moses Ombati warned politicians planning to hire youths to disrupt the burial.

“We have intelligence that some politicians have hired goons and are planning to transport them to the burial to heckle and their rivals and disrupt the burial. We will deal firmly with any such cases,” said Mr Ombati.

He told Nation.co.ke that politicians should avoid turning the burial into a campaign platform.

“Politicians planning to attend the burial should know there will be women and children attending and law enforcers will deal firmly with any attempt to cause mayhem at the event,” said Mr Ombati.

Mr Obongita was first elected in a by-election on Kanu ticket in a by-election in 1972 and went ahead to clinch victory in the 1974 General Election.

He lost to Dr Ellon Wameyo in the 1979 polls.

He served as the third MP for the former Mumias constituency between 1972 and 1978 and was a staunch crusader for the Luhya unity.

Last year Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi visited Mr Obongita at his rural home to seek his blessings and support from the Wanga community after the former deputy prime minister announced he would be contesting the presidency.

Mr Obongita first joined politics in 1963 as a member of the then Legislative Council of Kenya (Legico) along with the former fiery Butere MP Martin Shikuku.

On the other hand, Senator Boni Khalwale the Ford Kenya said: “I have no problem working with Mr Washiali irrespective of our political party affiliations. We have always worked together in fighting for the rights of sugarcane farmers.”

Senator Khalwale said key Nasa politicians will be attending the burial of the politician who stood out for fighting for the rights of the sugarcane farmers he represented as the MP.

Mr Washiali described the late Obongita as a politician who fought for the rights of the poor.

“The late Obongita spent much of his time fighting to restore the dignity of the poor and ensure sugarcane farmers in western reap from the sweat after toiling for long,” said Mr Washiali.

Mr Washiali asked other politicians planning to attend the burial to promote peace and ask their supporters to show respect to the family of the late politician.