Githunguri Member of Parliament Gathoni Wamuchomba has raised concerns over the conduct of politicians during state-linked funeral events, calling for structured guidelines on how such occasions are handled.

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Speaking in Parliament, Wamuchomba urged the Speaker to intervene and guide legislators on managing funeral contributions and conduct during burial ceremonies.

She said some recent events had raised questions about the appropriateness of political exchanges at funerals.

“Mr Speaker, I want to throw this challenge to your desk as our chair of the select committees in these funerals so that you can guide us on how we are going forward,” she said.

The lawmaker expressed discomfort with the current practice where Members of Parliament contribute funds towards bereaved families, only for funeral platforms to be used for political messaging.

She suggested that such settings should remain respectful and free from confrontational exchanges.

“I’m not comfortable as a member of parliament to contribute more money to help believed families of our colleagues, and then during the funeral, even the family is not comfortable,” she said.

Wamuchomba referenced a recent memorial service held for the late Ol Kalou MP David Kiaraho, which was attended by several political leaders. She noted that the event had moments of tension, with remarks made that appeared to target other leaders.

She further cited her observation of the late MP’s widow during the service, suggesting that her reaction reflected unease with the proceedings.

“Yesterday I saw the lady, the Honourable Mrs Kiaraho and her family, I saw her facial expressions, you know, sending signals that things are not going right,” she said.

The MP questioned why funerals should be used as platforms for political attacks, particularly when other forums exist for such engagements.

“Why would we contribute to a funeral service that is being used as a platform to demean you as a speaker of the National Assembly, to demean a majority leader like Kimani Ishongwa and many others, yet we have other platforms, political platforms, where we can do this,” she said.

Wamuchomba called for a Kamukunji meeting to discuss the way forward.

“So with your support, Mr Speaker, and with your permission, I request a Kamukunji where we shall go and discuss how we are going to manage such functions going forward,” she added.