A somber funeral ceremony in Kisii County descended into chaos and physical violence on Saturday when two rival Members of Parliament, Anthony Kibagendi and Japheth Nyakundi, engaged in a shocking public brawl on the dais, turning a moment of mourning into a national spectacle.
The funeral was for Salome Ongwae, stepmother to former Kisii Governor James Ongwae, and had drawn a host of local political heavyweights. The event, intended to honor the deceased, quickly unraveled into a stark display of the deep political divisions fracturing the region.
The trouble began when Kitutu Chache South MP Anthony Kibagendi, aligned with the opposition, took the microphone. In a move that electrified the crowd with tension, he launched a direct and scathing verbal attack on President William Ruto.
“We were hoodwinked as a community and as a nation to elect a President who is a liar,” Kibagendi declared from the podium.
His comments were a bridge too far for area MP Japheth Nyakundi of Kitutu Chache North, a staunch supporter of the ruling administration. Intercepting the speech, Nyakundi strode across the stage and physically wrested the microphone from his colleague’s hands.
What happened next escalated from a war of words to a physical altercation. Nyakundi, now in control of the mic, reportedly attempted to chase Kibagendi off the stage. The confrontation instantly ignited, with the two elected leaders shoving and grappling with each other in full view of horrified mourners, family members, and a battery of news cameras.
The scene plunged into bedlam as police officers and security aides attached to the attending VIPs rushed the stage. They struggled to insert themselves between the feuding lawmakers, facing significant difficulty in containing the emotionally charged situation and restoring order.
The dramatic fight overshadowed the purpose of the gathering and highlighted the bitter rift between political camps. The ceremony was attended by several other high-profile leaders, including MPs Silvanus Osoro (South Mugirango) and Dorice Donya (Kisii Woman Representative), as well as Senators Richard Onyonka (Kisii) and Okongo Omogeni (Nyamira), who looked on as the disgraceful scene unfolded.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from Kenyans online and on social media, with many expressing dismay at the conduct of the leaders and questioning their respect for the sanctity of a funeral. It stands as a jarring symbol of the intensely polarized political climate in Kenya, where even events of personal loss are not immune to becoming political battlegrounds.
