The late Nathan Wasama Masai. [Courtesy]
The killing of Nathan Masai Wasama has triggered a political storm in Mt Elgon constituency, with rival politicians directly questioning the circumstances surrounding his death and pointing to what they describe as a long-running rivalry with incumbent MP Fred Kapondi.
The accusations are serious, but they remain allegations. No evidence has publicly established that Kapondi ordered, financed or participated in Wasama’s killing, and detectives have not announced a political motive.
Yet Kapondi’s name has emerged repeatedly in the aftermath of the killing. The reason is largely the history between the two politicians. A relationship that began with political cooperation but eventually turned into rivalry as Wasama positioned himself to challenge Kapondi for the Mt Elgon parliamentary seat in 2027.
Michael Maruti, a Mount Elgon ward representative aspirant, says the political environment has become increasingly threatening for those seeking to challenge established power.
“We as political aspirants are very worried. Because when you say you want a seat, there is a leader who thinks that the seat belongs to them. I personally have been threatened with a gun pointed at me by the leader,” Maruti said.
He also pointed to what he described as previous confrontations between Wasama and Kapondi.
“At some point we saw Wasama in a public confrontation with the MP. There are some clips which show our MP telling Wasama publicly, ‘ntakunyorosha,’” Maruti said.