The family of Awendo MP Walter Owino has warned politicians to keep off politics of impeachment of Migori Governor Okoth Obado during their patriarch's funeral on Friday to avert chaos.
Speaking to the press, the legislator said as a family they had asked politicians and their supporters to avoid the subject during the funeral of his father, Mzee Peter Sirawa, in Ombasa village, Awendo.
“We have warned politicians who will condole with us on Friday to keep off county politics and only tackle national politics to avert unnecessary tension,” Owino said.
The legislator said his father was a peaceful man and they expect the funeral, to be attended by ODM leader Raila Odinga, to be peaceful.
He said as a family they were alarmed by calls on social media by supporters of several county politicians ahead of the funeral supporting the planned impeachment motion by ODM.
“We want to tell politicians to rein in their supporters and join us as a family to mourn our father,” he said.
Tension is expected at the funeral as Obado and his political nemesis Senator Ochillo Ayacko are expected to share the podium for the first time after ODM sponsored an impeachment motion, which has stalled.
Last weekend, Obado, in another funeral in West Kanyamkago ward, said he was disappointed after Ayacko skipped the function.
“I wish I had found him here. But I know soon we will meet face to face in public to tell him off over the impeachment motion against me,” Obado declared.
Obado and Ayacko, in several media interviews, have exchanged bitter words over the motion although they have not met in any public function.
On Tuesday, Obado won big by sealing any loophole for the impeachment motion sponsored by ODM against him by having a friendly deputy speaker elected.
The assembly unanimously elected Bukira East MCA Mathews Chacha to be a substantive deputy speaker, effectively locking out George Omamba, the North Kanyamkago MCA who has been leading the team championing the motion.
On Monday, Obado and speaker Boaz Okoth, his closest ally, met several MCAs in a Migori hotel where they hatched the plan ahead of voting on Tuesday.
In the two-hour afternoon session chaired by Speaker Boaz Okoth, the MCAs unanimously voted in Chacha who got 41 votes with another Obado ally, God Jope MCA Leo Lot, getting no votes after being proposed to give the election a semblance of competition.
Stunned, 11 pro-motion MCAs at the assembly refused to vote while four walked away and left the assembly.
Migori chief magistrate Dickson Odhiambo swore in Chacha.
Edited by Henry Makori
