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Students join Anyona burial row

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Published on Saturday, 02 June 2007 08:15

The campaign to have former Kitutu Masaba MP George Anyona buried continued with university students from Kisii, Gucha and Nyamira saying the burial should be hastened.

The students said the delay, after the court exonerated Mr Anyona from any involvement in the withdrawal of a women's group’s funds, was not justified. Student leaders at the six public universities said Mr Anyona was their political role model who deserved respect even in death. "Anyona was a champion of democracy and we are saddened that a man we looked to for political guidance is being punished even in death," said Mr Gilbert Onderi.

Kitutu Masaba MP Mwancha Okioma assured the Anyona family that all the 10 Gusii MPs would support new burial arrangements if asked to do so. "We will accord Mr Anyona a decent burial any time the family asks for our hand but it is their responsibility to decide the burial date," said Mr Okioma. At the same time, a fresh difference is threatening a joint family decision on the burial date. "Anyona’s son Kwame and his cousin Charles Mageto besieged Mr Mageto (Anyona’s brother) to stop him from blocking burial arrangements, saying his stand had embarrassed them at their places of work," said a family source who attended a recent family meeting.