By OLIVER MUSEMBI
Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba has come under fire for linking the death of Susan Mugure to the state of health services in Kiambu County.
Wamuchomba had claimed in a post on her Facebook page that Mugure died because Kiambu hospitals were not functioning properly.
However, it has emerged that Mugure, a member of the Kenda Mūiyūru sect, bled to death during a Caesarean section at Limuru Nursing Hospital, a private facility.
She was later buried in Kambaa village in a controversial funeral marked by traditional Kikuyu rites.
Kiambu County Assembly Majority Leader Godfrey Mucheke criticised Wamuchomba, accusing her of exploiting the death for political gain and attempting to damage Governor Kimani Wamatangi’s reputation.
“This is what we call shamelessness, cold, evil, cruel and utterly insensitive behaviour. Instead of visiting the family to offer condolences, Wamuchomba, whose popularity and political career is on the deathbed, decided to use the painful incident to attack the Governor for political gain,” Mucheke said in a Facebook rejoinder.
He added that on the day of Mugure’s burial, the Githunguri MP, “in total disregard of the family’s grief, and in a bid to make herself relevant, shamelessly posted on Facebook, claiming the incident happened because Kiambu public hospitals are failing.”
Mucheke drew parallels with another recent incident involving a mother who gave birth to five babies at Thika Hospital, where area MP Alice Ng’ang’a blamed the county health department and accused Wamatangi of failing in his mandate.
Mucheke, who is also the Kalimoni ward representative, said the babies were transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital because they were extremely premature and had underdeveloped organs.
He said the infants later died at KNH.
“However, driven by malice, Ms Ng’ang’a shamelessly said the children died at Thika Hospital and blamed the Governor,” he alleged.
Mucheke also accused former Kiambu Governor James Nyoro of repeating the claim a week later that the babies had died at Thika Hospital, despite a statement from Kenyatta National Hospital explaining what had happened.
The county assembly leader questioned the conduct of politicians who use deaths to attack their opponents.
“Seriously, as politicians, have we lost our conscience? Is it that some of our politicians in Kiambu are cruel and evil-minded snake oil salesmen, always praying and hoping we have deaths so that they can use them to fight Governor Wamatangi?” he posed.
Wamuchomba did not respond to phone calls seeking her comment on the allegations.
