The Nyakach Council of Elders has disowned and condemned the purported coronation of parliamentary aspirant Nashon Angudha Kuja, declaring the ceremony invalid and accusing him of desecrating a sacred cultural site.
Addressing the media at the revered Okanowach shrine in Kadianga, the Supreme Council of Diang’a Elders, led by Nyakach Council of Elders Chairman Sir George Abuom, described Sunday’s event as a “disgrace” and an insult to the Kadianga community and its ancestors.
Abuom accused Angudha of kneeling at the grave of a revered community legend to seek political blessings despite having no blood relationship with the family or the Diang’a lineage.
He termed the act a sacrilege, insisting that the sacred shrine is reserved exclusively for members of the Diang’a clan and cannot be used to endorse political aspirants from outside the lineage.
“The Supreme Council of the Diang’a community is seated with me here. These are the people who made this place sacred. Our forefathers who died many years ago were buried here. Let me make it clear that no child of Kadianga can be taken outside this community to be blessed. If an outsider comes here seeking blessings, that is naïve and an insult to this community,” Abuom said.
The elder further distanced the council from the ceremony, maintaining that no legitimate Kadianga elders sanctioned or participated in the event.
He dismissed those who attended and presided over the ceremony as impostors, insisting the ritual carried no cultural or traditional legitimacy.
“Anybody who participated in this event is suffering from mental disability. This is our holy place where we bless our children before they leave in search of opportunities elsewhere. Whatever happened here on Sunday was null and void. Let no one be deceived that the Kadianga people endorsed it. If you did not see these respected elders of Kadianga here, then those who officiated the event can only be described as fraudsters,” he said.
Abuom said he had initially admired Angudha’s entry into the race, saying the aspirant had begun his campaigns with humility and wisdom before taking what he termed an unfortunate path.
“He started his campaign very well, and we thought he was a disciplined young man who understood moral etiquette. To my surprise, he has chosen to disgrace himself,” Abuom added.
The Nyakach parliamentary seat has emerged as one of Kisumu County’s most hotly contested political battlegrounds after the incumbent MP declared his interest in the Kisumu gubernatorial race.
Although several aspirants have expressed interest in the seat, political observers currently view Nashon Angudha Kuja and Okoth Opande, popularly known as “Mulla”, as the frontrunners in the race.
