Legion Maria Arch Bishop buried as chaos erupt at his funeral

Members of the Legion Maria of African Church Mission during the today's burial of Arch Bishop Lazarus Obera in Muhoroni Constituency-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo

By Dickson Odhiambo

 

July 24, 2021

 

Legion Maria Arch Bishop buried as chaos erupt at his funeral

 

The funeral service of an Arch Bishop of the Legion Maria of Africa Church Mission in Muhoroni constituency today has been marred with chaos where one person has been stabbed in a scuffle among supporters of some politicians.

 

Fracas occurred during the funeral service of Arch Bishop Lazarus Obera of Bondo Arch Diocese who was also the senior Human Resource Manager at the county Assembly of Kisumu.

 

Protocol hitch has been alleged as the issue that enabled the chaos to erupt during the burial that has occurred in Miwani Ward.

 

Trouble started when Speaker of the County Assembly of Kisumu Elisha Jack Oraro who was the master of Ceremony begun inviting the guests who included Kisumu Senator Fred Outa and Former Governor Jack Ranguma to address the mourners but this seemed not to have gone down well with the duo.

 

This did not go down well too with the area Member of Parliament James Onyango K’Oyoo who protested when the Speaker reportedly told him to address the mourners then give him back the Microphone to invite other guests, adding that he would address the mourners last since the late Arch Bishop has been an employee at the County Assembly of Kisumu where he worked as the Senior Human Resource Manager.

 

Before both Kisumu Senator Fred Outa and former Kisumu Governor Ranguma rose to speak, some youth booed, heckle and demanded that no politician should speak at the funeral after Kisumu County Liaison Officer Samwel Ong'ou.

 

A suspect drew a knife and stabbed one person then it became free for all as the suspect tried to escape from the scene prompting a police officer who was providing security during the funeral to shoot in the air to scare away the rowdy crowd.

 

Police allegedly shot the run-away suspect in the leg and arrested thereby disarming him of the weapon.

 

The program ended prematurely and the body of the late arch Bishop taken to his final resting place where the Church conducted final burial rites before interring him at Saint Mary’s Nyakoko Legion Maria of Africa Church Mission.

 

Police took the injured to the hospital as report from the venue indicated that the victim had passed on by the time he was being taken to the health facility for treatment.

Arch Bishop Lazarus Obera died on July 10 after a short illness at Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu.

Meanwhile, Kisumu Governor Prof Peter Anyang Nyong’o condemned the reported chaos that occurred today during the burial of the Arch Bishop Obera.

“As the Governor of this County, I wish to reiterate that we abhor any form of intolerance and violence in public places. It is even more demeaning and is disrespectful for any politician to orchestrate any form of violence during funerals where we are expected to preach peace and condole with the bereaved,” Nyong’o says.