Wetang’ula reveals last-minute attempts to save his brother before he died
By Joel Masibo, December 19, 2025National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has reflected on the last-minute attempt to save the life of his elder brother, James Mukwana Wetang’ula, whose demise was confirmed by his brother and Westland Member of Parliament, Tim Wanyonyi, through his Facebook page on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.
Speaking during Mukwana’s funeral in Tuuti, Bungoma, on Friday, December 19, 2025, Wetang’ula recalled the efforts he put in to get Mukhwana admitted to the Intensive Care Unit and the advice he got from the deceased’s wife.
Last-minute attempts
”When I saw my brother, I brought the ambulance to take him to the Intensive Care Unit. But my in-law said, being a nurse herself, there was nothing they could do there that they had not done at home,” Wetang’ula reflected.
He revealed that initially, the immediate family saw it wise to keep the departed at home in the company of close associates rather than confined in the ICU.
”She advised we keep him at home, where he could see people rather than being confined in one place, seeing walls. It was more traumatic. In the evening, I was informed my brother was getting worse, so I instructed Dr Wanyama to admit him to the ICU. When he arrived, I made a follow-up, and I was told James had just left, and that is life,” he added.
Personal reflection
Wetang’ula also offered a personal reflection on the life of his late brother, James Mukhwana, describing him as a calm, peace-loving man who was once destined for the priesthood before choosing a different path in life.
According to him, if disagreements ever arose, it was never because James had wronged someone. He noted that he could not remember a single individual who openly quarrelled with his brother during his lifetime.
Instead, whenever tensions began to rise, James would quietly excuse himself and walk away, choosing peace over confrontation.
”He was a person such that if you ever fell out with him, then you were the one at fault, because he never quarrelled with anyone. I do not know anybody who actively quarrelled with my brother in his life. Whenever he sensed tempers rising, he would simply get up and walk away,” Wetang’ula said in his eulogy.
In a revelation that surprised many, Wetang’ula disclosed that his late brother, before venturing into the teaching profession, had initially been prepared for religious life. James had been sent to Mukumu Seminary, where he studied for some time before returning home. Upon his return, he informed the family that he had been advised not to go back to the seminary.
Curious about the decision, Wetang’ula asked his brother what had happened. James simply explained that “worldly matters” had influenced his choice. The family, Wetang’ula said, respected that decision. He added that it was because of those “worldly matters” that the family later welcomed a sister-in-law and children, who are now part of their lives.