Mystery, hard questions persist on fallen Senator Otieno Kajwang’s last moments

Kenya: A few hours before taking his last breath, Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang’ was literally stuck within the Parliament precincts — without a car, bodyguard or personal assistant.

An agitated Kajwang’ kept calling to find out when his car would pick him up. At one point, the Senator protested loudly to the surprise of those in his company at the Parliament’s bar, that he was getting late.

“I think he would have left earlier had it not been for this delay. He even prevailed upon me to stay on longer with him when I attempted to excuse myself,” recalls freelance journalist Byroernne Omondi, who spent time with Kajwang’ on Tuesday evening.

Omondi says he was with the Senator between 6pm and 8:20pm before he eventually left for home, moments after they were joined by Mohammed Elmi, MP for Tarbaj constituency, and former minister for Northern Kenya and Semi-Arid Lands.

On the same night, National Assembly Leader of Majority Aden Duale also spent a brief moment with Kajwang’.

Contacted by The Standard On Sunday, Duale confirmed the encounter: “Yes, I was with him and Elmi at the members’ lounge and at the bar. We chatted a bit, and then I left him there at about 8.30pm because I was dashing for an interview on TV.”

Different versions

But that is as far as the true story of Kajwang’s last moments seems to go. The rest of the tale as pieced up by The Standard On Sunday is full of contradictions, is illogical and has conflicting timelines.

For instance, according to Faith Vivian Ouma, who claims to be Kajwang’s other wife, she was called and informed of the Senator’s admission to Mater Hospital at 9pm.

This account contradicts that of Siaya Senator James Orengo, who has stated that his late Senate colleague was driven by his wife Rose from their Runda home to Mater Hospital at about 10pm. Efforts to get clarification and further details from Orengo proved futile Saturday, as his cell phone went unanswered.

Yet, still, according to the account of a parliamentary staff member, he served Kajwang’ with drinks up to about 9:30pm when he left. The employee, who declined to be named, confirmed that Kajwang’ was at the parliamentary bar from around 7pm and was taking “whisky, black label.”

The parliamentary staff said after the end of the 9pm news bulletin, the former Immigration minister asked to sign for his bill. He had been having drinks separately in the company of Duale, Elmi and Omondi, among other people.

If the parliamentary staff is to be believed, then Kajwang’ was not at The Mater Hospital by 9pm as stated by Faith. Alternatively, it is practically impossible that he would have left for his home in Runda and back to Mater Hospital over an emergency in less than 30 minutes. Even then, other relatively high-class facilities of Nairobi Hospital, Aga Khan and MP Shah, are closer to Runda than The Mater.

Even more intriguing is that the Senator actually had no car that particular evening. Omondi remembers Kajwang’ asking his driver, bodyguard or mechanic, when the repairs on his car would be over.

This begs the all-important question — in whose car did Kajwang’ leave Parliament Buildings? If it was by taxi, whose was it and who ordered for it? Where did they drive to from Parliament and just how did Kajwang’ find himself in Mater in South B area? Who drove him there?

A few revelations by Omondi, who sat through with Kajwang’ during his last moments, offer a hint to some of the above questions. According to the journalist, the Senator received several calls, most of which he declined to respond to. He appeared to have been under some kind of pressure from people he was supposed to meet.

“However, he answered some calls and he particularly kept reminding one caller in his native Luo, that he was still held up in Parliament,” recalls Omondi.

Doctors’ report

While Kajwang’s movements from Parliament remain a mystery, it is clear though from the doctors’ reports at The Mater Hospital and the two pathologists who performed tests on him that the Orange party stalwart died of heart-related complications.

Orengo has also suggested that his death could also be linked to the grisly accident the Senator was involved in on Friday, November 14, in Othoro, Oyugis town in Homa Bay County. Orengo, who is the Kajwang’ National Burial Committee chairman, said the deceased had broken four ribs and had“massive erosion” in the stomach.

Eliud Owalo, who served as the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy’s (CORD) presidential campaign manager last year, partly associates Kajwang’s death to the road accident.

“There is need for thorough investigations to ascertain the real cause of Kajwang’s abrupt death, more so considering the fact that he was involved in a suspicious road accident on Friday last week on his way to an ODM consultative meeting at Oyugis in Homa Bay County,” says the Nairobi-based management consultant.

Separately, The Standard On Sunday learnt that members of his clan held a meeting at his rural home in Mbita constituency yesterday to deliberate on the matter between Rose and Faith, “among other hot issues”.

According to a source within the family, Kajwang’s first wife left for the United Kingdom way back in the 1990s. She reportedly bore the Senator two children, one of whom is named Ajwang’, after Kajwang’s father, David Ajuang Nyakwamba.

According to our source, Rose, fondly referred to as “Nyar Mwa” or “girl from Luhya land”, is the second and surviving wife of Kajwang’.

Vivian Faith is said to have been married to Kajwang’ as well, with all the Luo customs concerning marriage being observed, but the couple reportedly remained so for seven years after which they separated.

According to sources within the family, Kajwang’ took care of Faith and her two children despite the separation. Her neighbours in the city have confirmed that Kajwang’ was a frequent visitor of her house.

The Standard On Sunday was, however, unable to independently verify this information, including others that claimed the former minister’s last wife, a teacher, with his two children, live in Kisumu.

Oscar Obonyo  

Mystery, hard questions persist on fallen Senator Otieno Kajwang’s last moments

Kenya: A few hours before taking his last breath, Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang’ was literally stuck within the Parliament precincts — without a car, bodyguard or personal assistant.

An agitated Kajwang’ kept calling to find out when his car would pick him up. At one point, the Senator protested loudly to the surprise of those in his company at the Parliament’s bar, that he was getting late.

“I think he would have left earlier had it not been for this delay. He even prevailed upon me to stay on longer with him when I attempted to excuse myself,” recalls freelance journalist Byroernne Omondi, who spent time with Kajwang’ on Tuesday evening.

Omondi says he was with the Senator between 6pm and 8:20pm before he eventually left for home, moments after they were joined by Mohammed Elmi, MP for Tarbaj constituency, and former minister for Northern Kenya and Semi-Arid Lands.

On the same night, National Assembly Leader of Majority Aden Duale also spent a brief moment with Kajwang’.

Contacted by The Standard On Sunday, Duale confirmed the encounter: “Yes, I was with him and Elmi at the members’ lounge and at the bar. We chatted a bit, and then I left him there at about 8.30pm because I was dashing for an interview on TV.”

Different versions

But that is as far as the true story of Kajwang’s last moments seems to go. The rest of the tale as pieced up by The Standard On Sunday is full of contradictions, is illogical and has conflicting timelines.

For instance, according to Faith Vivian Ouma, who claims to be Kajwang’s other wife, she was called and informed of the Senator’s admission to Mater Hospital at 9pm.

This account contradicts that of Siaya Senator James Orengo, who has stated that his late Senate colleague was driven by his wife Rose from their Runda home to Mater Hospital at about 10pm. Efforts to get clarification and further details from Orengo proved futile Saturday, as his cell phone went unanswered.

Yet, still, according to the account of a parliamentary staff member, he served Kajwang’ with drinks up to about 9:30pm when he left. The employee, who declined to be named, confirmed that Kajwang’ was at the parliamentary bar from around 7pm and was taking “whisky, black label.”

The parliamentary staff said after the end of the 9pm news bulletin, the former Immigration minister asked to sign for his bill. He had been having drinks separately in the company of Duale, Elmi and Omondi, among other people.

If the parliamentary staff is to be believed, then Kajwang’ was not at The Mater Hospital by 9pm as stated by Faith. Alternatively, it is practically impossible that he would have left for his home in Runda and back to Mater Hospital over an emergency in less than 30 minutes. Even then, other relatively high-class facilities of Nairobi Hospital, Aga Khan and MP Shah, are closer to Runda than The Mater.

Even more intriguing is that the Senator actually had no car that particular evening. Omondi remembers Kajwang’ asking his driver, bodyguard or mechanic, when the repairs on his car would be over.

This begs the all-important question — in whose car did Kajwang’ leave Parliament Buildings? If it was by taxi, whose was it and who ordered for it? Where did they drive to from Parliament and just how did Kajwang’ find himself in Mater in South B area? Who drove him there?

A few revelations by Omondi, who sat through with Kajwang’ during his last moments, offer a hint to some of the above questions. According to the journalist, the Senator received several calls, most of which he declined to respond to. He appeared to have been under some kind of pressure from people he was supposed to meet.

“However, he answered some calls and he particularly kept reminding one caller in his native Luo, that he was still held up in Parliament,” recalls Omondi.

Doctors’ report

While Kajwang’s movements from Parliament remain a mystery, it is clear though from the doctors’ reports at The Mater Hospital and the two pathologists who performed tests on him that the Orange party stalwart died of heart-related complications.

Orengo has also suggested that his death could also be linked to the grisly accident the Senator was involved in on Friday, November 14, in Othoro, Oyugis town in Homa Bay County. Orengo, who is the Kajwang’ National Burial Committee chairman, said the deceased had broken four ribs and had“massive erosion” in the stomach.

Eliud Owalo, who served as the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy’s (CORD) presidential campaign manager last year, partly associates Kajwang’s death to the road accident.

“There is need for thorough investigations to ascertain the real cause of Kajwang’s abrupt death, more so considering the fact that he was involved in a suspicious road accident on Friday last week on his way to an ODM consultative meeting at Oyugis in Homa Bay County,” says the Nairobi-based management consultant.

Separately, The Standard On Sunday learnt that members of his clan held a meeting at his rural home in Mbita constituency yesterday to deliberate on the matter between Rose and Faith, “among other hot issues”.

According to a source within the family, Kajwang’s first wife left for the United Kingdom way back in the 1990s. She reportedly bore the Senator two children, one of whom is named Ajwang’, after Kajwang’s father, David Ajuang Nyakwamba.

According to our source, Rose, fondly referred to as “Nyar Mwa” or “girl from Luhya land”, is the second and surviving wife of Kajwang’.

Vivian Faith is said to have been married to Kajwang’ as well, with all the Luo customs concerning marriage being observed, but the couple reportedly remained so for seven years after which they separated.

According to sources within the family, Kajwang’ took care of Faith and her two children despite the separation. Her neighbours in the city have confirmed that Kajwang’ was a frequent visitor of her house.

The Standard On Sunday was, however, unable to independently verify this information, including others that claimed the former minister’s last wife, a teacher, with his two children, live in Kisumu.