Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City
RESIDENTS of Kisumu Town East constituency have appealed to the government through the police authorities to conduct a thorough investigation over the shooting drama involving the bodyguards of the area MP during a funeral church service in which a youth was shot and fatally wounded.
The victim of the shooting Julius Asero Aloo was operated at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Referral Hospital in Kisumu [formerly New Nyanza General Hospital by Dr Otieno Obondo who removed the bullet from his body.
The residents want the MP’ body disarmed and the weapon taken to ballistic experts’ together with bullet recovered from the victim’s body for trough examination by experts. This is because the MP Shakeel Ahmed Shabbir has vehemently denied that any shooting incident took place.
Residents say this was the third time the security detail of this particular MP involved in reckless shooting at a public gathering following commotions.
Similar incidents have been reported before in the same constituency, but with no report of any accidental shooting. The Resdents of Kolwa East Wad who have witnessed the past incidents, during which the MP-s bodyguards had to shoot in the air to scare the rowdy youths, have a feeling that this MP is fond of going to funeral homes accompanied by heavily armed body guards not for the purpose of condolencesing the bereaved families, but specifically with aims of intimidating his would be opponent during the forthcoming general elections and that it is time he be stopped by the Provincial and police authorities in Nyanza to stop these acts of excessive provocations
Before his accidental death in a helicopter crash on June 10th,the former Internal Security Assistant Minister the late Joshua Orwa Ojode had suggested that in future the bereaved families would be required to apply for police licenses for any funeral gathering.
The Minister suggestion came in the wake of several incidents in which mourners wee forced to fled as fighting rags between rowdy youth supporting different political camps fought each other with stones and crude weapons at times inflicting injuries to innocent funeral goers.
The resident say they would also petition the ODM leadership not to accept M Shakeel Shabbir candidature for the same seat as the MP has proved to be not fit for political leadership and is thriving on politics of gangsters and thuggery. ”The MP should be thoroughly investigated and stopped from holding any public office,” they said.
The latest shooting drama incident occurred on October 19 during the funeral church service of the late Archbishop Musa Ogana Omolo of the Adundo Hollyghost Chuchin Kolwa East Ward within Kisumu municipality. THE mp visited the church, and the locals were angered by his presence because they have made numerous appeals to the MP to help the deceased Bishop get medical treatment in Nairobi, which he said to have declined, but made to the funeral service carrying gift of sugar and maize flour meals to be used in feeding the mourners.
Outside the church the M met some rowdy youths who asked him why he had failed to fulfilled some of his election ledges of 2007.Bitter argument ensued. At this juncture the Councilor f rte area Robert Oruko Otuge, who is an aspirant for the same seat came out and asked the MP to leave the venue due to high tension and that he could come the next day during the actual burial of the Bishop.
THE man stood his ground and remained standing outside the church. His two bodyguards cocked their guns, and one called Musa menacingly pointed the gun at Con Otuge threatening to shoot.
The civic leader fearing for his life grabbed the bodyguard’s hand and the two were involved in the scuffle which drew one the bodyguards. Musa is said to have fired three times in the air to scare the youth away from possible attack on the MP. As the bodyguards and supporters tried to separate the MP and ushering him into his car where the driver had remained n the wheel, a gun rung out from suspected to have come from Musa’s weapon wounding the youth fatally in the leg.
The residents believed that the guns assigned to the M by the government were being misused and appealed to the government to withdraw such guns before the worse come, especially during this time hen the genera elections are around the corner.
Previously, the government used to withdraw licensed guns from MPs and candidates contesting in various constituencies after the shooting and killing of Mr Uhuru Nege a youth in Kitutu Chache constituency in Kisii district. In 1997.
The Kisumu resident wants the government to with draw the errand bodyguards and guns issued to candidates withdrawn during the election campaign period.
Ends