I’ll live long by God’s grace, Biwott says to allay rumours he is dead

Nicholas Biwott               PHOTO: COURTESY

By VINCENT BARTOO and MICHAEL WESONGA

Former powerful Cabinet Minister Nicholas Biwott yesterday said he will consult his lawyers with a view to take legal action against people who spread rumours that he is dead.

An angry Biwott termed the reports the work of “sadists and evil people”, saying it is only God who has the right to determine the death of a human being.

“Such people are cursed and should be arrested. They clearly crossed the line here and went to the extreme by killing me before my time,” he said.

Biwott said he received numerous calls, both local and international, from worried and shocked callers surprised to hear him at the end of the line.

“This has alarmed so many people and it could have caused harm yet I am alive and well and I know that I will live long according to God’s grace because I rely on him,” he said.

Close family members told The Standard on Sunday that Biwott’s sister was hospitalised in an Eldoret hospital upon learning of his ‘dead’ through reports that circulated on social media yesterday morning.

Biwott was speaking at Toroplongon in Keiyo South, Elgeyo/Marakwet County where he ironically attended a party to celebrate 100 years lived by Catholic Priest Fr Thomas Kigen’s mother.

 Clergy in attendance took time to pray for Biwott, asking God to accord him many more years to live saying he had supported many church projects.

Concerned callers

His personal assistant William Chepkut had earlier dispelled rumours circulating in the social media that his boss had passed on.

Chepkut termed the reports “unfortunate, careless and meant to create unnecessary apprehension”.

He said Biwott was robust and that they had flown to Eldoret from Nairobi Friday evening to attend yesterday’s function.

“We landed in Eldoret and parted ways with my boss at 9pm. It shocked me when I woke up to find over 120 missed calls by people, including State House, who were concerned when they heard the reports,” said Chepkut.

He said he immediately called his boss and was relieved to hear his voice, adding that he had woken up well and ready to travel to Father Kigen’s function.

Chepkut said they would take action on individuals who spread the rumour, including a media personality who announced Biwott’s supposed death on his Twitter account.

“It was very careless of him. This has caused a lot of apprehension and shock to Biwott’s family, friends and supporters, the country and abroad. Such people need to be tamed,” he added.

The journalist, working for a local TV channel, had posted that Biwott had passed on before reposting that he had spoken to the former Keiyo South MP and his wife and confirmed that he was alive and well.

Twitter goof

It is not the first time for the TV reporter-cum-anchor to goof in his Twitter posts, with an incident last year where he supposedly revealed the identity of an ICC witness. The Hague based court threatened to take action against him.

Another journalist also faced the sack after he reported the death of former Cabinet Minister Njenga Karume even though he was alive.

Chepkut yesterday asked journalists to exercise restraint and observe ethics before reporting to avoid creating unnecessary tension.