Trans Nzoia County Governor George Natembeya has voiced his disappointment over the disturbance that unfolded during the burial ceremony of one of his employees on Friday, March 22.
Natembeya stated that the chaos ensued after several buses arrived at the burial site, transporting unidentified individuals from Bungoma.
Expressing disappointment with National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula, Natembeya highlighted that the speaker neglected to inform him of his intention to attend the burial, contrary to protocol.
“The speaker should have paid us a courtesy call and told us he was coming. That is protocol. I got to the venue of the burial and tried to come the youth down and all of a sudden tear gas was sent our way,” Natembeya explained.
He further claimed that he received a call a day earlier and warned against attending the burial ceremony, as someone had hired buses to ferry people from Bungoma for the burial.
“I was warned not to go to the burial because they suspected something was going to happen,” he stated.
The governor further added that upon arrival at the burial site, he found all police officers surrounding the Wetangula, which triggered the youths on the ground
Natembeya has requested investigations to establish the person behind the instructions to lobby teargas at him and the youths on the ground, terming it as illegal.
“Whoever instructed those people to fire the teargas at us should be arrested. Because there were old people and women present at the burial,” he added.
Ford Kenya Deputy party leader Ferdinand Wanyonyi has however condemned Governor Natembeya over the chaos, stating that he could have handled the situation better.
“The governor is not above the law. Only the president is. If he was warned why did he come,” Wanyonyi stated.
On Friday, chaos erupted during a burial ceremony at the Goseta area in Trans Nzoia County, after supporters of Speaker Wetangula and Governor Natembaya clashed. Police were forced to lobby teargas to disperse the rowdy youth.
