Wetang’ula Urges Leaders to Keep Politics Out of Brother’s Funeral

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula on Thursday called on political leaders to avoid turning funerals into platforms for partisan debate as he led mourners in honouring his late elder brother, Mwalimu James Mukhwana Wetang’ula.

Speaking at the family home in Tuuti Kibabii, Bungoma County, after a requiem mass at Kibabii Catholic Church, Wetang’ula stressed the importance of peace and solemnity during the burial. He said the family would not allow political undertones to overshadow the ceremony.

“I want to eulogise my brother in peace and dignity, and hope he will go to heaven to prepare for us who are still here. As we plan to lay my brother to rest tomorrow, I want to tell you that we will not condone politics here; we want to escort him in peace,” he said.

Wetang’ula described his brother as a dedicated teacher and mentor who influenced the lives of many professionals in the region. He recalled their close relationship, noting that they grew up together in their mother’s household without ever quarrelling. 

“He is the best brother anybody can have,” he said.

Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi, the youngest of the brothers, remembered Mukhwana as a man of few words who spoke with clarity and conviction. Other leaders, including Kibabii MP John Makali and Bungoma County Assembly Speaker Emanuel Situma, joined the family at the requiem mass, reflecting the respect Mukhwana held within the community.

The burial took place on Friday, 19 December, at the family’s homestead in Kibabii Tuuti. His death comes less than a year after the family buried their mother, Anne Nanyama Wetang’ula, in December 2024. Her funeral was attended by senior government leaders who paid tribute to her role in raising a generation of leaders.