Tension erupted on Saturday, September 21, in Kitale after a heated confrontation broke out between National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula’s protocol officer, Ben Juma, and Saboti parliamentary aspirant Joseph Pepela.
The situation turned chaotic when former Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa, who was with Pepela, pulled out a gun in the middle of the altercation.
The drama reportedly unfolded inside a popular club in Kitale, where Pepela and Wamalwa were having a meeting.
Eyewitnesses told Newshub.co.ke that the disagreement quickly got out of hand, and in video clips that have since surfaced, Wamalwa can be seen brandishing a firearm to shield Pepela as the confrontation with Juma intensified.
People around Wamalwa were seen frantically holding him back, fearing that he might fire his weapon in the heat of the moment.
Despite the mounting tension, Juma appeared undeterred. He could be heard addressing Wamalwa, insisting that his issue was not with the former MP, but with Pepela. “Chris, we are not fighting.
We respect you. Our problem is Pepela because he has been insulting our party leader Moses Wetang’ula,” Juma said, accusing the aspirant of repeatedly disrespecting the FORD Kenya party leader.
Wamalwa, visibly shaken and raising his voice, tried to de-escalate the standoff. Using the Luhya word “tawe”—which translates to “no” or “refusal”—he cautioned that such an incident should not happen in a public place. “Please get out.
Tawe, we cannot fight at the club. Let us not disrespect each other here,” Wamalwa urged as he attempted to calm the situation.
But Juma, still agitated, responded sharply: “We respect you a lot, Chris, but who is Pepela? He has been crossing the line, disrespecting the party leader. This man is too much, and we must put him in his place.”
Eventually, the club’s security stepped in to prevent the clash from escalating further. Juma was escorted out of the premises by security officers, who repeatedly urged him to leave before matters spiraled out of control.
So far, neither former MP Chris Wamalwa nor Speaker Moses Wetang’ula’s office has issued any public statement regarding the dramatic confrontation.
This ugly exchange comes barely a week after another political scuffle in Kisii County. During a funeral in Sensi Ward, Kitutu Chache South MP Anthony Kibagendi found himself in a fistfight with his counterpart from Kitutu Chache North, Japheth Nyakundi.
Trouble began when Kibagendi, while addressing mourners, launched a direct attack on President William Ruto, accusing him of deceiving Kenyans.
“We were hoodwinked as a community and as a nation to elect a President who has turned out to be a liar,” Kibagendi told the crowd.
His remarks, however, angered Nyakundi, who immediately stormed forward, grabbed the microphone, and tried to force Kibagendi off the podium.
What began as a verbal exchange quickly escalated into a physical confrontation, forcing mourners and leaders present to intervene and separate the two legislators.
The two incidents highlight the rising political tempers and public spats that have increasingly characterized Kenya’s political scene in recent months, with leaders openly clashing in public forums, funerals, and now even entertainment spots.
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