Murunga’s widows want mistress to deposit Sh10m as security

Two widows of Matungu MP Justus Murunga now want a mistress seeking to stop his burial next week to deposit Sh10 million as a security for stopping the funeral.

Mrs Chrsitabel Murunga and Mrs Grace Murunga say they have spent so much in procuring services including food for mourners, and that stopping the burial will cause their families heavy losses.

“That the injunction order issued is disruptive as the burial date has been set for November 28 in Matungu constituency, Kakamega County,” Christabel says in an affidavit.

Mr Murunga succumbed to Covid-19 on November 14 on his way to St Mary’s Mission Hospital as there was no oxygen machine at the nearest Matungu Sub-County Hospital.

The two widows say Mr Murunga’s former colleagues in Parliament, the speakers and other senior government officials have set the dates and stopping the burial would throw the plans into disarray.

The mistress, Ms Agnes Wangui Wambiri, obtained the orders stopping the burial pending the determination of a paternity case she has filed.

She wants the court to issue an order for collection of DNA samples from the body and from her two children for tests to confirm whether he sired them.

She also wants the children to be allowed to fully participate in the burial of their father.

The magistrate directed the case to be heard on November 26.

DNA samples

While Mr Murunga’s widows say they have no problem with the request by Ms Wambiri to have DNA samples extracted from the MP’s body, they want her to bear the costs of the exercise.

They reckon that they do not know her or her children and that instead of contacting them, she filed the case that has painted them in bad faith.

Meanwhile, MPs in the committee organising the lawmaker’s send-off — including Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali, his Ikolomani counterpart Bernard Shinali and Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala — say they are in talks with the mistress to persuade her to withdraw her case and allow the burial to proceed.

Mr Washiali said they were making “good progress” in the negotiations and are confident that Ms Wambiru will withdraw the suit.

Peaceful sendoff

“We are in talks with her so that she understands the need to give our brother a peaceful sendoff. Lawyers from Parliament will also appeal against the ruling of the judge so that we can meet the set date,” said Mr Washiali.

“But should the court insist that the woman has to be heard, then we shall change the date and convey the new date to the public.”

The committee said the MP will tentatively be buried on November 28 at his rural home in Makunda village, Kakamega County.

Mr Malala, Mr Washiali and Mr Shinali recently visited the MP’s rural homes at Makunda and Makutano  in Mautuma, Lugari, and deliberated on burial plans with his family members.

Mr Washiali further explained that the body will leave Lee Funeral Home in Nairobi on the material day of the burial and be taken to his other home in Lugari before proceeding for burial in Matungu.

The burial service will be conducted at Makunda Primary School grounds, about 500 meters from the MP’s home.

“Parliament is committed to cater for all the burial expenses including transportation of the body from Nairobi, purchase of casket, announcements in both print and electronic media, tents, public address systems and catering plus other involvement that will give our brother the befitting sendoff that he deserves,” said Mr Malala.

The MPs asked the family and all mourners to strictly adhere to the Covid-19 protocols as they mourn the MP.