DCI Summon Rashid Echesa, Governor Fernandes Barasa

The three were tasked to present themselves to the DCI in the region on Tuesday (today), to explain how they were involved in the skirmishes.

DCI Summon Rashid Echesa, Governor Fernandes Barasa
Side by side of Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa and Rashid Echesa. /FERNANDES BARASA.FILE

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has summoned Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa, former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa, and Matungu Member of Parliament Peter Oscar Nabulindo.

According to Western Regional Police Commissioner Kiprono Lang’at, the three are on the spot over the chaos that erupted over the weekend during the burial of a former chief in Mayoni Ward, Kakamega County, leaving several people injured, including a police officer.

The three were tasked to present themselves to the DCI in the region on Tuesday (today), to explain how they were involved in the skirmishes.

DCI director Mohamed Amin speaking as DCI's Anti-Narcotics Unit received state-of-the-art equipment from the United States through the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) on February 8, 2023. /DCI

"I would like to tell Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa, Matungu MP Peter Nabulindo, and former Sports CS Rashid Echesa to avail themselves at the Western Regional Police Department DCI department [to] explain what transpired at the Kakamega funeral," he said.

Lang'at further announced that the police initiated an operation to arrest those accountable for the violence, which resulted in injuries to over 100 people.

"Additionally, we have started an operation looking for those involved in the fracas, and we have so far arrested two of them. The operation will continue until we ensure that we have arrested all people involved," he added.

The summons followed violent confrontations between their supporters at the funeral which led to the destruction of property worth millions of shillings.

Amid the incident, chaos broke out, injuring several attendees, including a police officer and other security personnel who had intervened to restore order. Some individuals sustained bleeding wounds, with the injured officer receiving aid from his colleagues.

The situation escalated rapidly as opposing groups threw chairs at each other, further distressing the grieving family, who also had to cope with additional damages.

After the incident, Barasa and Echesa both released statements holding each other responsible. In a statement on Saturday, February 8, Barasa denounced the event, blaming Echesa and his supporters for the chaos.

"I condemn the violence that occurred today in Matungu during Mzee Agostino Odongo's funeral. As a Senior Chief & Director at Mumias Outgrowers Company, he deserved a dignified send-off, not the chaos caused by Rashid Echesa. May Mzee rest in eternal peace," he said.

However, Echesa rejected the accusations and instead blamed Barasa for provoking the disturbance by bringing in disruptive youths.

"It was quite uncouth, uncivilized, and uncultured for Governor Fernandes Barasa to storm the funeral procession of the Late Mzee Agostino Odongo with loutish and discourteous youths in the name of intimidating leaders who don't subscribe to his leadership," he claimed. 

After the incident, both Nabulindo and Echesa were put in a difficult situation when the deceased's family returned the cow and monetary contributions they had given for the funeral.

The family explained that it was highly inappropriate for the politicians to attend the funeral, where they were meant to pay their respects, only to cause a disturbance by trying to take control of the proceedings. Additionally, the family stated that they were returning the gifts as a lesson to other politicians who frequently disrupted funerals.

''He cannot bring this and disrupt our father's funeral. He was a very peaceful man, so shame on him and anything that he has given thinking that will calm the situation,'' a daughter to the deceased said in a recorded video.

''This is a lesson to every politician that you cannot come to people's funerals and then you take charge of the funeral program,'' the former administrator's son weighed in.  

They subsequently took the donated cow to Nabulindo's office in Matungu, where it was accepted by some of the staff present at the compound.

A photo collage of chairs that were broken at the funeral of a chief in Kakamega on February 8, 2025, and a police officer with injuries. /NTV
Marvin is a man who wears many hats as well as one of many talents. The digital journalist and editor rose from studying a Psychology degree at the United States International University-Africa (USIU) and working as an intern at Kenyans.co.ke to the Founder & Editor-In-Chief at Viral Tea Ke, driving it into one of the fastest-growing digital media platforms in the country. He believes in serving that hot tea; every day and every hour. His skills include editing, writing, social media analytics, teamwork, and good communication skills and is ready to learn, re-learn and unlearn. Previously, Marvin also served as the Digital Editor at Bright Kenya News and has had stints at 254News.co.ke and Afrotape.com as a Content Curator His works as a commentator have been featured in newspapers such as Daily Nation, Business Daily, The Star and People Daily either solo or alongside other fellow young journalists. He is a believer in growing young talent in the media industry, passing on lessons learnt from other experienced digital journalists to scribes that look up to him. Currently, he is pushing to have aviation journalism popular among media houses in Kenya. As a believer in victory, he is a fan of Chelsea Football Club and some say he has a radio voice.

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