Memusi Sankok, a 15-year-old boy who is the son of Narok MP Mr. David Sankok shot himself with a family gun early this week. According to media reports, he withdrew the gun from his mother’s bag.
It was a tragic end to the young man just starting his life. Since then very strange things are happening. Mr. Sankok has been interviewed for days now about the incident and the guns.
It is possible there are issues with guns in the MP’s family home and all the requirements for safe gun storage and even the legality of the weapons. Those are legitimate concerns that police forces all over the world deal with to detect and avoid careless gun storage or people having guns with no license.
That is fine but this family needs to mourn and bury their son and should be left to do so in peace. If the police want to keep the guns they can do so and leave the family alone for now.
The other group of people who need to leave the family alone is the politicians who look at the tragedy and the evolving issues as some kind of a political gift to them and their persistent wars against law enforcement in Kenya.
On Friday, Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua jumped on the issue to make silly and outrageous statements.
Mr. Gachagua claimed that the DCI was being used to ‘persecute’ Mr. Sankok for being in the United Democratic Alliance.
According to Mr. Desperate here, somebody in power is “using the DCI to persecute” Mr. Sankok. When that kid had the tragedy of shooting himself I don’t think there were ‘used DCI’ officials there cheering him and hoping that this offers an opportunity to “persecute” Mr. Sankok because he is in UDA.
Sometimes people like Gachagua should stop taking themselves too seriously because nobody really gives a damn about them. Mr. Gachagua himself has cried about persecution against him when he has been charged with robbing the taxpayers in Nyeri of more than Shs. 12 billion.
If you tell most Kenyans today that here, I am going to let you rob Shs 12 billion and when you are arrested, cry about persecution – they would take it.
In fact, many would take the 12 billion and serve some years in jail knowing that when they come out they will be loaded. So yes, Kenyans know Mr. Gachagua is loaded with stolen money and he should be prepared to go to jail for it. The money will be there when he comes out.
Read: Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua, wife pastor Dorcas Wanjiku in trouble over 12B tenders
The MP, who was accompanied by other lawmakers Lemanken Aramat (Narok East) and his Emurua Dikirr counterpart Johana Ng’eno, asked the detectives pursuing the case to be professional.
According to the Narok DCI boss Mwenda Ethaiba, 10 staff members at Osim Country Lodge owned by the MP have recorded statements.
The MP, his wife Hellen, and their elder daughter Rosemary also recorded statements. Officers from DCI headquarters also took Mr. Sankok’s statements on Thursday over alleged ‘inconsistencies’ in the earlier statement.
“Government agencies should desist from being drawn into punishing those who are supporting different political formations,” said Mr. Gachagua.
Mr. Aramat, who chairs Mr. Sankok’s son’s burial committee, told journalists: “All is set for Tuesday’s burial that will take place at the MP’s home here at Ewaso Ng’iro.”
Now if we stick to gun laws and gun use in Kenya we all know guns are all over the place and more often than not, they are illegally acquired arms. But that may not be the case with MP Sankok’s guns.
I am pretty convinced that Mr. Sankok for the sake of his son will cooperate with the police to sort out any irregularities that may have happened. A young man has lost his life here and those who want to use this for cheap politics like Rigathi Gachagua should find something else to fool around with.
Don’t play with this boy’s life. Gachagua can keep working on that DP nomination thing to be Ruto’s running mate. I am sure there is no “persecution” there.
Just leave that young man alone. His death is not for your politics. Respect him and his family and don’t politicize his death for your petty interests. Please if you don’t mind.
Adongo Ogony is a Human Rights Activist and a Writer who lives in Toronto, Canada
