Langata MP Phelix Oduor alias Jalango has found himself in hot water following his public utterances on Sunday in Kisii County.
The first-time lawmaker was among other leaders who had joined Deputy President Kithure Kindiki to raise funds for construction of Marani Catholic Church. During the funds drive, Jalango claimed to have travelled to Kisii a day before and spent some time at a local joint within the area.
The comedian turned politician then claimed that during his short stay, he saw a group of men whom he referred to as a “council of witches” conversing about the development that the area MP Japheth Nyakundi had done.
According to Jalango, the men were bitter that the legislator had connected many of his constituents with electricity.
“Yesterday (Saturday), I arrived here early. I slept in Marani. I saw a group of men having some baraza. Around 12 people...I said let me eavesdrop. That's how I came to realise that it was a council of witches," he said.
"They were night runners who were there discussing how Hon Japheth had disrupted their nocturnal activities by installing electricity in every corner of the village,” Jalango continued.
Langata MP Phelix Odiwuor aka Jalango alongside counterparts Zaheer Jhanda (Nyaribari Chache) and Didmus Barasa (Kimilili) in Marani, Kisii, on April 27, 2025.
Photo credit: Wycliffe Nyaberi | Nation Media Group
As soon as he was done with his address, Kenyans took to social media to call him out, saying his remarks were offensive and portrayed the Kisii community in bad light.
Popular Gusii musician Man Sango said the Lang'ata MP had portrayed the people of Marani, where he hails, in bad light.
Lawyers Danstan Omari and Samson Nyaberi have filed a formal complaint against Jalango, saying the MP's conduct amounts to ethnic profiling.
They are demanding that the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) investigates the incident and takes disciplinary action.
"We also seek a public statement from Mr Odiwuor (Jalango) retracting the defamatory remarks and apologising to the Kisii community for the harm caused by his words," a statement from the lawyers says.
However, some observers have come to the defence of Jalango, saying his comments were made in jest. For instance, former Kisii Sports minister Duke Mainga said the MP was "just trying to be the comedian that he is".
