Crowd Goes Silent as ODM MP Dares Ant-Ruto Dissenters

Homa Bay MP Peter Kaluma has warned residents against chanting the “Wantam” slogan in the county, declaring his support for President William Ruto’s re-election bid while laying his brother to rest.

According to reports shared by A.M Media, the legislator spoke on Saturday at the burial of Cpl. Kenneth Otieno Aluma in Ndiru, Homa Bay East. Cpl. Aluma, a police officer, was remembered by mourners as a dedicated servant of the nation and a devoted family man.

The burial drew a crowd of political heavyweights, among them National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula, Wanga, and Wandayi, who joined the Aluma family in grieving.

The leaders had already shown solidarity earlier, when the Speaker visited Mr Kaluma at home to console him.

As the service moved from mourning to politics, Mr Kaluma took the opportunity to send a message to those opposed to the President.

He told the gathering that anyone who dared to pronounce “Wantam” in Homa Bay would face serious consequences, warning that such a person would see fire. The remarks cut through the sombre mood, and reports indicate the crowd fell silent as he spoke.

The MP made it clear that he is firmly behind a second term for Mr Ruto, and he challenged dissenting voices in the region to reconsider their stand.

His position reflects the shifting political alignments in Nyanza, where some ODM leaders have embraced cooperation with the government while others have resisted it.

Mr Kaluma’s tough language is likely to stir debate. Supporters of the “Wantam” campaign, which pushes for the President to serve a single term, may view his words as an attempt to silence them, while his allies will see them as a firm defence of the working arrangement between ODM and the government.

Beyond the politics, the day belonged to the Aluma family. Relatives, friends and colleagues from the police service gathered to bid Cpl. Aluma farewell, remembering the service he gave to the country and the love he showed his loved ones.

His legacy, according to those who spoke, will live on through the family he leaves behind.

The leaders who attended offered words of comfort to the bereaved, even as the political undertones of the day continued to draw attention.

Whether Mr Kaluma’s warning will change the mood on the ground in Homa Bay remains to be seen, but it has already set tongues wagging across the county and beyond.

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