By BOB WASWANI
June 24, 2026|A high-stakes legal battle between two of Kakamega County’s most influential women is set to move to court on Monday after the statutory 14-day period granted to the defendants expired on Friday.
Kakamega First Lady and Associate Professor of Religion and Culture, Prof. Janet Kassily Barasa, has sued Kakamega Woman Representative Hon. Elsie Muhanda and her communications handler, Gabriel Wesa, in a defamation suit filed before the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Kakamega.
The case has attracted considerable public interest because it pits two women who rank among the most powerful and influential figures in Kakamega County against each other ahead of the 2027 political season.
According to the plaint, Prof. Kassily accuses the Woman Representative of uttering defamatory remarks on April 5, 2026, during the mourning of the late Caroline Khamete Ambale, the Principal of Kakamega County Polytechnic, whose death was reportedly linked to a drowning incident in Lake Victoria.
In the court papers, Prof. Kassily claims that Muhanda questioned how she managed to arrive at the mortuary before the deceased’s husband and allegedly suggested that the body had already been “tampered with” before the husband viewed it.
The First Lady argues that the statements, later circulated on social media, created the impression that she was involved in the death of the deceased, had interfered with the body, and had committed criminal offences.
She further claims that the widespread publication exposed her and her family to ridicule, hatred and public contempt.
The suit also names blogger and communications strategist Gabriel Wesa, whom Prof. Kassily identifies as Hon. Muhanda’s communications manager. She alleges that he facilitated the extensive dissemination of the video through WhatsApp, Facebook and TikTok, causing what she terms global circulation of the allegedly defamatory remarks.
In her witness statement, Prof. Kassily explains that she had known the late Caroline Khamete Ambale closely through her “A Helping Hand to Teen Mothers” programme, which partnered with Kakamega County Polytechnic in equipping teenage mothers with life skills.
She states that she was attending a Lake Region Economic Bloc function in Kisumu when she received information that Ambale had died and that police suspected drowning.
According to her statement, she proceeded to the mortuary alongside Kakamega County Public Service Board member Vivian Ayuma and found members of the family and county officials already involved in the process.
Prof. Kassily says she viewed the body, offered condolences and left.
She maintains that neither the deceased’s husband nor investigators have ever accused her of involvement in the death or any alleged mutilation.
The First Lady further claims that the remarks painted her and her husband, Governor Fernandes Barasa, as “murderers and ritualists” and were intended to damage their image and generate political mileage ahead of the 2027 gubernatorial contest.
In the suit, she alleges that Muhanda, who is considered a potential candidate for governor, deliberately sought to portray the governor and his family negatively in order to weaken their political standing.
Prof. Kassily says the controversy affected her personally and professionally, claiming that friends distanced themselves from her and that she had to repeatedly explain to colleagues, students and acquaintances that the allegations circulating online were false.
She is seeking a permanent injunction restraining further publication of the statements, an unconditional public apology, general damages, aggravated damages and costs of the suit.
By the time of publication, neither Hon. Elsie Muhanda nor Gabriel Wesa had responded to the allegations contained in the court papers.
The dispute stems from the death of the late Caroline Khamete Ambale, the Principal of Kakamega County Polytechnic, whose body was recovered from Lake Victoria in March.
According to Prof. Kassily’s witness statement, county officials informed her that police suspected the deceased had died by drowning and investigations were ongoing.
The First Lady says she was told the body had been taken to a Kisumu mortuary for preservation and identification.
Court documents indicate that Prof. Kassily visited the mortuary after receiving news of Ambale’s death because the two had worked closely through her “A Helping Hand to Teen Mothers” initiative.
In her statement, she says she later learnt from county officials that the death appeared to be a drowning incident suspected to be suicide, although investigations were still underway.
The circumstances surrounding Ambale’s death have continued to attract public interest, with the findings of investigations and postmortem results yet to be made public.