The national government has promised to cater for medical and funeral expenses for the former Malava Member of parliament and Housing minister Soita Shitanda.
Speaking at Soita’s home in Butali, Malava Sub County where he condoled and delivered the national government’s message to the bereaved family Lugari MP Ayub Savula said President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto had promised to contribute towards the funeral arrangements.
“Hon. Shitanda was a national figure having served as Malava MP for many years well as cabinet minister and recently as the chairman for Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC), in view of that president and his deputy have offered to facilitate the burial arrangements,” said Savula adding that already the two had settled the hospital bill.
He said leaders from the former western province have organized for a fund drive towards the funeral arrangements this Saturday at Malava grounds which will be led by deputy president William Ruto who will also give the president’s contribution.
He disclosed that already procurement for a plane that will lift the body from Nairobi had been done and it was upon the burial committee to give logistics on where it will land first before arriving home.
“We have already procured a plane that will carry Hon. Shitanda from Nairobi but the other logistics whether he will land in Kakamega or here direct will depend on the committee will make the arrangements,” said Savula.
“We are here to ensure that we give Hon. Shitanda a befitting burial of a Luhya hero, a national leader, a man who has served in the cabinet representing the interest of this country, we will burry him as a national leader,” Savula added.
Earlier Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya when he condoled with the family at Butali on Wednesday had promised that the county government will meet all the funeral expenses without calling for a fund raiser saying this will be lowering Soita’s dignity.
Speaking to the press the burial arrangement committee chairman Mr. George Malumasi appealed to everyone to observe peace and harmony during this mourning period as preparations goes on till burial on Saturday 4th June, 2016.
He urged politicians from both Jubilee and Cord to bury their differences in honor of Soita and not to divide residents on political party grounds.
“Soita was a man of people who loved peace and we will have senior people from both Jubilee and Cord coming to pay their last tribute to him, all I can say is let’s all maintain peace in his honor,” said Malumasi.
Soita died on Tuesday 24th May, 2016 while undergoing treatment at Nairobi hospital where he had been admitted for about two weeks.
He will be laid to rest at his Butali home, in Malava sub county, Kakamega county on Saturday 4th June, 2016.