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Siaya Governor James Orengo has condemned the disruption of a funeral in Seme, accusing the State of deploying “goons” and insisting that intimidation will not silence the Linda Mwananchi movement.
In a statement issued after the incident, Orengo said he had attended a burial at Ridore Primary School to pay his last respects to Eliud Nyikal Okaka, father of Seme MP James Nyikal, when chaos erupted.
“It is both shameful and a national disgrace that a solemn send-off could be disrupted by the State and its lackeys so rattled by the people’s unity that it resorted to unleashing goons,” Orengo said Saturday.
He claimed the situation became so tense that the clergy was forced to cut the service short, calling for an immediate burial without speeches “to preserve order and dignity.”
“No amount of intimidation, no teargas, no hired chaos, and no acts of desperation will silence the Linda Mwananchi Movement,” he added, describing the movement as “unstoppable, unshaken, and unwavering in its mission to defend and uplift the voice of every Kenyan.”
The remarks followed chaotic scenes at the burial, where a section of mourners demanded that Orengo leave before proceedings could continue.
During the burial, tensions escalated as speeches went on, with some youths advancing toward the front row occupied by leaders, including MPs, governors, and senators, while chanting for the governor to exit.
Orengo was eventually forced to leave the venue before calm was restored after intervention by the clergy.
After Orengo’s departure, the service resumed, with ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga reiterating the party’s position within the broad-based government and dismissing attempts to split it.
“ODM is in the broad-based government,” Wanga said. Capital News
