Mourners angered by Aisha Jumwa, fellow MP’s supremacy fight at burial ceremony

Mourners who had converged to condole with a family in Kikambala Village in Kilifi South Constituency were on Wednesday, March 11, left angry after Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa and her Kilifi South counterpart, Ken Kiti Chonga, led to a hitch of the burial programme after each of them vowed to speak last.

Chonga — the host MP — had invited Jumwa to make her address before wrapping up the leaders’ speeches, but Jumwa declined his invitation, saying she was the one to speak last, given her political muscle is stronger than that of Chonga in the Mijikenda region.

Chonga insisted that the programme schedule should be adhered to, and, therefore, Jumwa ought to stick to her allocated time of address.

The back-and-forth between Jumwa and Chonga saw the Malindi MP returning to her seat, vowing to speak after Chonga had left the podium.

The impasse that lasted minutes forced three religious leaders to intervene and asked the two leaders to respect the grieving family and the mourners.

Mijikenda women, who were present at the burial, were heard telling Jumwa, proverbially, that “there was no way the ear would be located above the eyes, and, therefore, as a Mijikenda woman, she ought to have respected Chonga”.

Jumwa, who took to the podium before Chonga after normalcy resumed, said she was sorry if her action was deemed to have communicated political arrogance.

According to her, she wanted to speak last because she was so close with the family of the deceased.

Chonga, on the other hand, said — in his speech — he couldn’t cede control of the programme to Jumwa because the Malindi MP had come to his turf.

Chonga and Jumwa attended the burial of former Mtepeni Ward MCA-aspirant Victor Katana’s mother. Katana unsuccessfully ran in the August 8, 2017 general election.