Aduma Owuor: ODM MP Who Once Travelled in Hearse Now Cooks Own Meals after Parents' Murders

• MP Joshua Aduma's parents were brutally murdered in a suspected targeted attack involving their newly hired farmhand
• Aduma revealed a history of threats, including past attacks, car torching, and the assassination of his bodyguard, forcing him to take extreme safety measures like driving a hearse
• Despite ongoing fears for his life and the trauma faced by his family, Aduma remains politically active and has expressed interest in running for Kisumu governor in 2027

Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features for digital and print media.

Nyakach Member of Parliament Joshua Aduma has opened up about a long-standing series of threats, violent attacks, and insecurity concerns that have plagued his political and personal life, culminating in the brutal murder of his parents.

What happened to Aduma Owuor's parents?

The MP recounted how, in a shocking incident, his mother was fatally struck with a blunt object while preparing a meal, and his ailing father was burned alive inside their house, just months after his election to the National Assembly.

His father, who had travelled home from Nairobi while undergoing treatment for a severe heart condition at MP Shah Hospital, had been locked inside the house before it was set ablaze.

"It is like they used explosives because nothing was recovered. The attackers thought I was home because we had planned a meeting with our elders that day. Fortunately, my plans did not work out. If they wanted to attack someone, it would have been me, not my parents," he said in an interview with NTV Kenya on Sunday, June 8.

Aduma revealed that their shamba boy, who had only been employed for a month, was suspected of involvement in the attack.

The farmhand claimed he had gone to buy airtime during the incident.

Aduma said the removal of his parents' bodies from the morgue occurred before he arrived, reportedly coordinated by someone close to him—an action he believes was meant to prevent him from reacting in a way that would have escalated the situation.

"I would have taken them to the PC's office for the PC to see them because I believed the government was responsible for that and those were not politicians," he said.

A day before his parents’ burial, a trusted guard of Aduma’s was critically injured in an attack at his Kisumu residence.

The MP believes the attempt on his guard's life was part of a larger plot to target him.

"Sometimes when somebody wants to break you, they go for some of the people you rely on to make you feel the pain. They thought he was one of the people I rely on in Kisumu. Fortunately, he survived," Aduma recounted.

He added that his most trusted bodyguard had previously been assassinated, leaving him exposed and vulnerable.

In Parliament, Aduma had warned of threats to his life just two weeks before the murders. These threats, he claims, have trailed him since 2011 when he served as director of legal affairs in Nairobi.

At that time, he allegedly received a parcel containing live ammunition, a case he reported to the police, but never received feedback on.

"The police have never reverted to me to date," he claimed.

How is Aduma Owuor escaping his enemies?

For his safety, Aduma once resorted to driving a hearse after his election in 2013.

He explained the unconventional choice as a security measure, saying: “I no longer travel in a hearse, the security is now good. People dread hearses. Roads are cleared for you, and the vehicle offers camouflage.”

He often drove the vehicle himself, describing it as both a tour van and a shield.

The MP also claimed that in 2016, his two cars—including one designated for the 2017 campaign—and a granary were torched in what he believes was a coordinated attempt to derail his political ambitions.

Despite operating without bodyguards, Aduma continues to travel by taxi, motorbike, or public service vehicles and sometimes cooks his own meals when in Kisumu or at home, citing both safety concerns and a desire to live a humble life.

"Sometimes it is fun because I want to live an ordinary life. I have been the humble person that I was before I was elected for this position. Nothing has changed," he added.

Years later, the trauma of losing both parents still haunts his family. He says his children cannot stay at their rural Nyakach home unless he is present.

"It is difficult to discuss this with the family. We are healing slowly. Sometimes it is painful especially when the incident crosses your mind. Even my children are still traumatised," Aduma confessed.

The MP claims there are still people plotting attacks against him in Kisumu, sometimes using street youths for hire.

“I have seen a few functions in Kisumu where I have been targeted. People would pay 'chokoras' money to attack me. There are planned attacks against me. Sometimes you rest them with God, they have never succeeded,” he said.

Aduma has also expressed interest in running for the Kisumu gubernatorial seat in 2027, should the current governor, Anyang' Nyong'o, opt not to seek re-election.

UDA MP claims his life is in danger

In other news, Nandi Hills Member of Parliament Bernard Kitur has raised alarm over threats to his life following claims that he exposed an alleged international organ harvesting syndicate operating in Kenya.

The first-term legislator recounted a recent incident in which his vehicle, occupied by some of his officers, was blocked near Brookside in Eldoret.

He alleged that the vehicle was being tracked and was eventually cornered by individuals he suspects to be security operatives.

The MP is now seeking enhanced protection, citing concerns for his safety after what he terms a targeted and threatening encounter.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke