Richard Aketch, a cousin of Jubilee Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju, was on Monday charged with threatening to kill the former Minister.
It is reported that he did so through a text message where he warned the politician against going to Nyanza.
“Do not set foot on your motherland… in case you come, please come with an extra coffin,” read the message which was allegedly sent on February 2.
[caption caption="Richard Aketch, Tuju's Cousin"]
[/caption]
According to police, the cousins had a fierce exchange of words prior to Aketch's arrest by flying squad officers.
Advocate Steve Kabita representing the accused asked the court not to remand their client noting that he had already surrendered the phone he used to send the message to the police.
Over the weekend, Tuju was heckled during a funeral in Rarieda, Siaya County, after he termed NASA leader Raila Odinga's "oath" a mockery and inconsequential.
"When I was a kid I used to play ‘kalongolongo’ (a children’s cooking game). Now that I have grown up you don't expect me to play the same game.
"The swearing-in was like ‘kalongolongo’," he remarked.
This did not go down well with the mourners who jeered him and forced him to cut short his speech.
Some of them left the scene and did not return to the graveside for burial.
Tuju, however, was not harmed as there was a heavy presence of plainclothes and uniformed police officers at the burial.
[caption caption="Raphael Tuju"]
[/caption]
