Raila, Mudavadi to meet at Shikuku burial

  SHARE BOOKMARKPRINTEMAILRATING

By NATION TEAM newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Friday, August 31  2012 at  23:30

IN SUMMARY

• Spokesmen of the two political rivals allay fears of a repeat of the clash that took place when they shared a podium in Sabatia in May

Political rivals Raila Odinga and Musalia Mudavadi will on Saturday attend the funeral of liberation hero Joseph Martin Shikuku at his home in Trans Nzoia County.

Mr Odinga will lead the ODM troops to the funeral.

Mr Odinga and Mr Mudavadi will also share a podium at the burial of Joshua Awori, the elder brother of former Vice-President Moody Awori at Funyula in Busia County.

Supporters of Mr Mudavadi and Mr Odinga clashed when the two leaders shared a podium in Sabatia Constituency in May, and anti-riot police intervened.

On Friday, the two leaders’ spokesmen said they did not expect any trouble.

“It is just a burial. We don’t expect trouble unless the other side wants to bring it,” said Mr Mudavadi’s aide Kibisu Kabatesi.

In what is likely to re-ignite claims that Mr Mudavadi’s bid for the presidency is linked to State House, his insiders told Saturday Nation that the Deputy Prime Minister would read President Kibaki’s condolence messages at the two functions.

“This will also raise the question of supremacy as anybody reading the President’s speech will have to read it last,” said Masinde Muliro University Lecturer Egara Kabaji.

Mr Odinga’s campaign communication director Barrack Muluka said of the protocol matter: “We are not concerned about it. We cannot dictate to State House what they want with their man.”

Share This Story

  

Mr Mudavadi acrimoniously left Mr Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement in May to chart his own presidential course, a move which rattled the Orange party because it has been counting on Western Province as one of its strongholds.

While a number of MPs in the region have aligned themselves with Mr Mudavadi’s United Democratic Forum, some have also stuck with Mr Odinga.

Mr Wamalwa is also banking his bid on the region’s vote.

It will be interesting to monitor the body language and the tone of the leading presidential rivals’ speeches as they seek to endear themselves to the populous Luhya bloc.

Also attending the funeral will be presidential hopeful Eugene Wamalwa of New Ford Kenya.

Shikuku, who died of cancer last week, was one of Mr Odinga’s ardent supporters in western.

Although he is from Butere in Kakamega County, Shikuku had chosen to be buried at Kiminini in Trans Nzoia, where he had built a home, dug a grave and bought his coffin. 

Before his death, the veteran politician had cautioned that he did not want crocodile tears shed at his funeral. He also banned politics and church service.

“The only thing I want is eshiremba,” he said, in reference to a Luhya funeral rite where bulls are driven past the dead person while men sing war songs and engage in mock fight.

The rite, an old practice that is slowly fading among the Abaluhya, is mainly performed for prominent people.

The late Shikuku’s family, led by brother Lwali Oyondi has vowed to stick to the former Butere MP’s burial wishes.

Unlike other prominent peoples families, which usually run a number of obituaries in national newspapers on their death, Mr Shikuku had left a will stating the advertisement should only be published once.

His Will contained his complete obituary, written in detail, leaving a dash where it says, “Shikuku died on ——.

The Will also scattered plans by the funeral committee members to take the late politicians body for a requiem mass at the Holy Family Basilica in Nairobi.

By Lucas Barasa, Julius Sigei and Erick Ngombilo