Funeral Turns Chaotic as Kisii MPs Kibagendi, Nyakundi Trade Blows

Kisii, Kenya – Mourners attending a funeral in Sensi Ward, Kisii County, were on Friday shocked when two area lawmakers turned the solemn event into a political battleground, exchanging blows in full view of the crowd.

The clash pitted Kitutu Chache South MP Anthony Kibagendi against his Kitutu Chache North counterpart Japheth Nyakundi, exposing deepening political divisions in the region.

The incident unfolded during the burial of Salome Ongwae, the stepmother of former Kisii Governor James Ongwae, where several high-profile leaders had gathered. Trouble began when Kibagendi, a known ally of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, took the microphone and launched a scathing 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, prompting Nyakundi — a staunch Ruto supporter — to storm the stage and snatch the microphone from him.

What followed was a heated confrontation as Nyakundi attempted to eject Kibagendi from the dais, sparking a physical fight that brought the ceremony to a standstill.

Police officers and security aides rushed to intervene as mourners watched in disbelief, with some scattering in panic. The chaos forced Kibagendi to leave the venue, followed by a section of mourners sympathetic to him.

Among the leaders present were MPs Silvanus Osoro (South Mugirango) and Dorice Donya (Kisii Woman Rep), along with Senators Richard Onyanka (Kisii) and Okongo Omogeni (Nyamira), who looked on as order was eventually restored.

The confrontation underscores the growing political rivalry in Kisii, where factions aligned to Matiang’i and Ruto are openly clashing as succession battles and realignments intensify ahead of future elections.

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