Former Kisumu MP Eric Gor Sungu, who is attempting a return to politics by vying for the ODM ticket to stand in Kisumu Town East at the next election, has dramatically claimed that there has been an attempt on his life by one of his opponents. This, however, is by no means the first time that Sungu has made such an accusation.

Gor Sungu death threats: sprayed with chemicals

Sungu reported the alleged attack at Kondele police station in Kisumu a week ago, since when the story has run almost daily in the Kenyan media.

“My life is in danger and Kenyans should be aware of what is happening”, Sungu told the press.

Sungu alleges that when he was campaigning in Kolwa he and some of his supporters were sprayed with mysterious chemicals.

“My supporters and I inhaled some suspicious chemicals and 10 of them were taken ill including myself. Today my situation is much worse,” said Sungu and he called on the police to begin an immediate investigation.

The police should of course investigate such a serious allegation but Nyanza police boss Joseph Keitany should be aware that when it comes to allegations of death threats Gor Sungu has a track record.

Gor Sungu’s life threatened again, and again, and again

In January 1999 Sungu told a congregation at St Stephen’s Cathedral in Kisumu that his life had been threatened by “rowdy youths” from the National Development Party. He asked the presiding priest to pray for him.

In March 2005, when Sungu was chairing the notorious Parliamentary Select Committee investigations into the murder of Dr Robert Ouko, Kenya’s Minister of Foreign Affairs who was murdered on February 13^th 1990, he once again claimed to have received death threats.

In June 2009 Sungu again claimed to have received death threats over the Ouko probe.

Murder at Got Alila: the investigation into who killed Dr Robert Ouko

Regular Kenya Forum readers may recall that we have written about Mr Gor Sungu (often also spelt Sunguh) several times, most recently on 8 March in our article ‘Final episode of Murder at Got Alila considers ‘lingering doubts’‘. In that article, we reported on the ground-breaking TV documentary on Citizen TV Murder at Gota Alila – Who Killed Dr Robert Ouko and Why?

It’s election time and Kenyans expect wild allegations to fly about in the air along with discarded campaign leaflets but Gor Sungu might be advised to remember what happened to the little boy who cried “Wolf!”

Related Kenya Forum postings:

‘Gor Sunguh owes far more than Sh3 million and an apology to Oraro over Ouko Inquiry [17 July, 2011]