Munyes shot by bodyguard in freak accident

Turkana Senator John Munyes being taken to an ambulance at Wilson Airport on September 8, 2014, after he was accidentally shot by his bodyguard. PHOTO | BILLY MUTAI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Turkana Senator John Munyes was on Sunday evening accidentally shot in the hip by his bodyguard.

The events leading to the accident are still unclear, but initial reports indicate that one bullet accidentally hit the vehicle's floor before it ricocheted to the senator, who was sitting in the front passenger seat.

Mr. Munyes was part of a delegation that was from a peace mission in Ethiopia led by Turkana Governor Josephat Nanok.

The delegation also consisted of police commander Emmanuel Karisa, Turkana North MP Christopher Nakuleu and members of the county assembly from the region.

The incident occurred at Loarengak in Turkana North, where the senator had stopped to talk to area MP Christopher Nakuleu before the delegation proceeded by road to Lodwar.

According to the senator’s personal assistant, Mr Ali Fadhili, flying doctors airlifted the wounded senator from Lodwar to Nairobi on Monday after he spent the night at Lodwar District Hospital.

“The bullet is still lodged in his leg,” confirmed Mr Fadhili.

The senator had been flown from Loarengak to Lodwar District Hospital in his personal aircraft on Sunday night.

Motorbike riders and taxis lit the Lodwar airstrip with their headlights to ensure the safe landing of the aircraft.

Last month, Senator Munyes was also part of a delegation led by Governor Nanok to Kabaango District in Uganda for a cross-border peace meeting.

The mission helped Kenyan pastoralists recover 3,041 livestock that had been confiscated by Uganda's People’s Defense Force on allegations that Turkana herders had killed one Ugandan soldier.