The widow of the late Vice President Kijana Wamlwa, Yvonne Wamalwa was laid to rest yesterday at her Milimani home in Kitale.
But what stood out was the political animosity between politicians who did not hesitate to flex their muscles.
It all started with Bungoma Senator and Ford Kenya Party boss Moses Wetangula addressing the Deputy President William Ruto as just “honourable” Ruto while he addressed the other leaders as “your excellences”.
Wetangula, also a NASA co-principal lambasted the DP and President Uhuru Kenyatta over media shut down.
The Ford Kenya boss said the two have showed blatant disregard of the law by failing to comply with the court’s directive to switch on NTV, KTN and Citizen TVs respectively.
“Article 35 of the constitution gives Kenyans the right to information. I wonder why the president and the government have violated the constitution,” Wetangula said as quoted by the Star.
Wetangula also slammed Jubilee regime for withdrawing their security detail. The NASA co-principals’ security detail was withdrawn on Tuesday moments before the unofficial swearing-in for Raila Odinga.
Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa in a jibe to UhuRuto asked who should respect the law if the President cannot take the lead.
“If Uhuru has breached the law by failing to adhere to court orders, who are we to follow the law?” asked the MP.
However, the DP in his speech to the mourners did not respond to the accusations made by his political opponents.
In fact, when addressing the mourners, he said that Wetangula is his friend.
He instead hit out at the opposition following the unofficial swearing-in of Raila on Tuesday. The DP in a comical tone told the NASA leaders not to hoodwink their supporters of forming a parallel government.
Ruto said another government will only be formed in 2022. “We must follow the constitution. We are firmly anchored on the law and no is above the law irrespective of who we are, we must submit to the dictates of the constitution of Kenya.
“They (NASA leaders) should not be lying to their supporters. They lost in the election and the next contest is in 2022, let them prepare for elections,” added the DP.
Ruto also said that he had warned his political opponents in NASA to sort out leadership issue in their house but they did not heed to his advice; the aftermath was that they lost in the last polls to Jubilee.
“I told these friends of mine, but they did not listen to me. I told them, that they took so long to decide who their leader would be and they were late,” said the DP. “There is no way you would have competed with us, we were ready all along.”
Ruto blatantly told Wetangula who was the only NASA principal at the funeral that if they do not put their house in order, 2022 elections will deal them a similar blow.
“We must speak the truth. The next election is in 2022. If you continue like this, things will not be good for you even then.”