MP Wamunyinyi’s brother killed, nephew arrested

It was already a sad occasion.

The family of Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi was planning a memorial service for his father when a deadly fight broke out between his brother and a nephew.

Now they have to plan another memorial and funeral for his own brother.

Joseph Wekesa, 35, from Buema village in Musikoma ward, was stabbed multiple times in the chest with a kitchen knife, allegedly wielded by his nephew, Nicholas Wafula, 30.

The cause of the dispute during the family meeting on Friday was not immediately established.

Wekesa and Wafula shared a tuk-tuk business in Bungoma town.

Bungoma South police station OCS George Odongo told journalists that MP Wamunyinyi reported the murder on Friday.

He said Wekesa had been fatally injured in a fight with a nephew, Nicholas Wafula.

“It happened that the family was preparing for a memorial anniversary for Mathew Austin Wafula Wamunyinyi (father to MP Wamunyinyi) which was to take place to at Burma Village, Tuuti sublocation at around 0130hrs,” he said. “The deceased disagreed with the suspect, a fight ensued. The deceased injured the suspect on the head and right thumb using a machete.”

The police boss said Wafula then rushed to his house, picked a kitchen knife and followed Wekesa to his compound where he stabbed him in the chest before he could enter the house.

The wife and children refused to open the door. “He then killed two dogs that tried to attack him and smashed the window panes of the deceased’s house,” the police report said.

Both men were rushed to the hospital.

“The deceased succumbed to the injuries at around 0500hrs while undergoing treatment at Bungoma West Hospital in Kanduyi area while the suspect is admitted at Dawameds Hospital in a stable condition,” the report said.

Bungoma police are investigating.

The body was taken to Life Care Hospital mortuary, formerly Lumboka Hospital, awaiting a postmortem. The suspect is expected to be arraigned on Monday.

Wamunyinyi, the Bungoma Ford Kenya party chairman, declined to speak to the press.

(Edited by V. Graham)