A widow has lodged a complaint with the Siaya police, accusing area governor, Cornel Rasanga of hurling unprintable abuses at her in a public forum.
Selina Akoth Olwanda, a beautician popularly known as Mama Biko said that the governor defamed her on March 23, 2017 at the Siaya main market where she, together with other small scale traders had gathered to listen to him.
Accompanied by her daughter, Sheila Olwanda, she demanded a public apology from Mr. Rasanga whom she alleged told the public that she harboured ill fillings against him after he refused to inherit her upon the death of her husband.
Flashing a copy of the police occurrence book (OB) reference number, 17/24/03/17, Mrs. Olwanda said the abuses arose after she spoke on behalf of fellow traders during a meeting between the governor and small scale traders at the Siaya agricultural training centre on March 22, 2017.
“I had been picked by my colleagues to present their views to the governor and as a spokesperson, I told him that he had not delivered on the promises he made when he met us in 2013 while seeking for election,” said Mrs. Olwanda.
She said that the meeting with the governor ended in disarray following differences over the mode of payment of transport reimbursement and the following day, governor Rasanga went to the market to apologise to the traders.
“While addressing us, he expressed disgust over my statement, saying that I had a beef with him after he declined my alleged love overtures upon the death of my husband,” said the widow who however added that the governor was indeed a friend to his late husband.
“In fact he was in the entourage that paid my dowry and would frequent my house when my husband was alive,” she said.
Mrs. Olwanda said she felt hurt, given that amongst those in attendance were her two daughters who are also beauticians in town and several friends and acquaintances. –KNA
