The thugs who killed Likuyani MP Enoch Kibunguchy’s driver on Sunday night were trying to assassinate him instead, the lawmaker has said.
“I have no doubt that the bullet was meant to kill me. Even if you kill me, you will not be an MP,” Kiunguchy told a press conference yesterday.
He called the attack an “attempted assassination”.
Douglas Wamakacha died of gunshot wounds. They were attacked at Soy Highway Motel. The three assailants took off in the MP’s vehicle but abandoned it at Nangili.
Police are investigating.
“You’ll not even manage to have the forest that you want because in my absence there will be many other Kibunguchys who will fight for the rights of the people of Likuyani,” the MP said.
He said the murder might be related to the acrimony following last year’s election and petitions that were filed in Kakamega and Kisumu courts.
One attacker was armed with a pistol and the other two had pangas. They struck as the driver moved Kibunguchy’s car closer to the door so the lawmaker could board.
The shooting occurred at 9pm, moments after MPs Justus Kizito (Shinyalu) and Bernard Shinali (Ikolomani) left. The three legislators had been drinking together.
Kibunguchy said he was in the motel to meet his constituents.
They may have been following the MPs for a long time, he said.
Kibunguchy said they will make sure Wamakacha’s killers are found and punished, “even if we have to resort to Luhya customs”.
Western regional DCI commander David Cheruiyot said, “Our officers are piecing up information. We’ve received crucial leads.”
Earlier on Sunday, Kibunguchy, Shinali and Kizito had attended a fundraiser at the Likuyani Catholic Church before going to the motel.
“It appears the attackers were lying in wait within the premises and when they saw the MP’s vehicle move, they thought it was him. They opened fire, killing the driver on the spot,” Kibunguchy’s aide told the Star.
They quickly moved in and pulled the body out, but when they realised it was not him they moved towards the hotel for him, he said, speaking on condition of anonymiy.
He said they had told the driver to turn the car and bring it near as they brought the MP.
“Before we could bring the MP down to board, we heard gunshots and stopped on the staircase,” the aide said.
He said the killers stepped into the motel and ordered everyone to lie down, but the manager saved the MP by switching off the lights. The attackers had no torch.
The aide said the killer must have been an amateur. He dropped the magazine and chamber of the gun, he said.