Nominated Mp Musikari Kombo  addressing mourners at Sang'alo village during the burial of Joseph okumu a business man. He implored Bungoma professionals to come together and formulate a strategic plan ahead of the devolved county system. Photo/ Protus Simiyu.

Political leaders in the country have been urged to sensitize their supporters on the need to embrace political tolerance to avert incidents of supporters of opponents falling out especially at funerals.

Addressing hundreds of mourners in Sang’alo village during the burial of a retired bank manger cum business man Mzee Joseph Okumu Simiyu, nominated MP Musikari Kombo regretted over the incident where supporters of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his deputy Musalia Mudavadi fought at a funeral in Sabatia, Vihiga County at a funeral.

The legislator said as political temperatures continue to heighten in the country ahead of the polls, political leaders must play a noble role of promoting unity and coexistence to ensure the country remains one before and after the general elections.

“As leaders we don’t want a repeat of 2007 where innocent Kenyans lost lives and property because of the unprecedented presidential results, political leaders should look for votes and at the same time promote unity,’’ he said.

On Bungoma County politics, Kombo urged professionals in the county to ignore politicians and organize forums to come up with a strategic plan for development in the county.

He said Bungoma County risks being left behind in all spheres of development if the professionals continue to seat on the periphery saying politicians owing to their different political inclinations; they cannot prepare a strategic plan for the county.

Kombo noted that other regions are already set for county governments courtesy of professionals saying society will charge wrongly professionals in Bungoma County if they will not rise above political lines and come together with a purpose of discussing a strategic plan for the county.

In addition, he  reckoned that during independence, Bungoma County was the richest county in the country asserting that the lost glory can only be re-achieved if at all a well prepared professional strategic plan prepared and adopted.

 He urged people of Bungoma County to remain one community in diversity and elect able leaders with good development track record and corruption free come the general election to spur the region to another level in terms of development.

The late Mzee Joseph Okumu, a retired Bank Manager and proprietor of a number of business enterprises in Bungoma town was eulogized as a steadfast person and development conscious with keen interest in education and entrepreneurship.