Controversy delays burial of Khalwale's bull caretaker

Kizito Amukune Moi, the man who was allegedly killed on Sunday by Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale’s fighter bull, will not be buried on Thursday as earlier planned.

This follows fresh controversy over the cause of his death as homicide detectives move in to carry out more investigations.

The family had planned to collect the body of the late Kizito from the mortuary on Wednesday but were advised against doing so.

"I went to the mortuary at 5.30am to prepare the body of my brother before the rest of the family members arrived. But at around 9am, I received a phone call from home informing me that police officers had come to stop the burial arrangements. I rushed back home and met the officers who claimed that they had instructions to stop the burial due to new developments," said Fredrick Muhanji, the deceased's elder brother. 

Complaints from the public

The family was reportedly stopped from picking up the body by police who asked for more time to conclude their investigations.

Kakamega South sub-County police commander Benjamin Wambua said police had received complaints from some members of the public that were worth investigating.

He said the family is however disturbed that the police did not reveal the identity of the person who launched the complaints. 

"Even though we complied with their orders, we are still asking to know who could have gone to the police with fresh demands over the body of my son," said Mr Maurice Odanga Amukune, the deceased's father.

Accepted autopsy report 

Mr Muhanji said all his family members had accepted the autopsy report and did not have any issues regarding the death of their kin.

"We were forced to slow down the process for further analysis after allegations of murder started coming up. We have now invited officers from the Homicide [Department] to conduct a second postmortem to clear any doubt about this death," said Mr Wambua.

The detectives had earlier attended a postmortem that was conducted at the Kakamega County General Hospital mortuary by Western region pathologist Dickson Muchana on Monday, a day after Mr Amukune’s body was found in the bull’s shed in Dr Khalwale’s home.

No doubt

Mr Muhanji, who had also witnessed the autopsy, said the family had no doubt that their kin died from injuries caused by the bull.

The report revealed that Mr Amukune succumbed to excessive bleeding occasioned by stab wounds from the horn of an animal.

The report further showed that the deceased suffered three broken ribs from a major blow and curved stabs on the neck, head and left thigh.

His father said all burial arrangements had been set and the the entire Mungusi village was ready to lay their son to rest. 

Fighting bulls

"We had prepared enough food for the burial ceremony and invited fighting bulls to grace the ceremony. Relatives have come from far prepared to spend a day here and get back to their workstations. The postponement will disrupt a lot of people's programmes," he rued.

Kizito was the caretaker of Dr Khalwale’s fighter bulls.

He was allegedly gored to death by a bull he had cared for for the last four years. He was 46, the second-born in a family of three. He was not married.

Mr Khalwale said tradition dictates that caretakers and trainers of bulls that participate in bullfighting must be bachelors.

"Mr Amukune was a decent man who would have liked to work anywhere, but he chose to work in a fighting game. We shall honour the new orders from the police and wait until they tell us they have exhausted their investigations so that no doubt is cast," he said. 

He condemned politicians in Kakamega who have politicised the death of his herdsman and disrupted his burial. 

Khalwale curse

"All the process to define the cause of his death is complete. What is playing, is politics. But I will not fall victim to their scheme and the slander on social media. These people seem not to have any feelings for the affected families or the deceased," he noted. 

The killer bull was slaughtered by irate villagers, who shared its meat randomly, according to Isukha tradition.

Mr Khalwale drove the first spear through the neck of Inasio, his favourite bull which had won several fights.

He cursed the animal, saying it had wronged and let him down. 

"Inasio, you have turned against me, you have wronged and ashamed me by turning against your trainer and caretaker,” he shouted at the bull before driving three spears into its neck.

Thereafter, villagers descended on the massive bull chopping off its body parts even before it died.

Mr Khalwale has purchased another bull to be slaughtered on the burial day of Mr Amukune to honour his services.