By Wasike Elvis 

Political tensions erupted during the burial of former Cabinet Minister and diplomat Burudi Nabwera in Kiminini, Trans Nzoia County, after Governor George Natembeya and area Member of Parliament Kakai Bisau clashed over speaking time and political differences.

The confrontation occurred on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Nabwera’s Sango Farm home, briefly disrupting the burial ceremony as leaders disagreed over the programme and the family’s wish to have the deceased laid to rest before 2pm.

According to reports by Citizen Digital, Daily Nation and The Standard, the disagreement began when Bisau, who was serving as the master of ceremonies, asked Natembeya to conclude his speech to allow other leaders to address mourners and enable the burial proceedings to continue.

The situation escalated when Natembeya resisted the interruptions, with leaders and security personnel moving towards the podium as supporters from different political camps reacted to the exchange. A family member later intervened, asking that the governor be allowed to finish his address.

During his speech, Natembeya criticised President William Ruto’s administration, accusing it of failing to deliver adequately on development promises to Trans Nzoia and calling for greater attention to the region.

The governor also rallied the Western region behind Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, whom he presented as a potential presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 General Election.

“Tuweke mmoja wetu mbele aende apambane na William Ruto, and numbers don't lie,” Natembeya said, urging leaders to unite behind a candidate from the region.

Bisau, however, challenged the governor’s political position, warning that they would face each other politically in the next election.

“Na huyu Natembeya ako dini yake na mimi dini yangu, mwaka ujao ntampeleka nyumbani,” Bisau said, signalling his intention to challenge the governor politically.

The exchange highlighted growing divisions among leaders in Trans Nzoia and the wider Western region as political alignments ahead of the 2027 elections continue to take shape.

Bumula MP Jack Wamboka and Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga backed calls for the Luhya community to unite behind Sifuna’s potential presidential bid.

Wamboka declared that leaders would confront their political rivals directly, saying, “Tutaonana ana kwa ana… wataonana mundu kwa mundu.”

Kalasinga also urged Natembeya to take responsibility for helping mobilise support for Sifuna, saying the community should work towards having one of its own elected president.

Natembeya defended his engagements with opposition leaders, including former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, saying such consultations should not be interpreted as hostility towards other opposition figures such as Kalonzo Musyoka and Fred Matiang’i.

“Kuongea na Rigathi haimaanishi tunapiga Kalonzo au Matiang’i, hapana, sisi sote tuko united under one agenda,” he said, maintaining that the opposition should work together towards a common political objective.

Democratic Action Party of Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa, who represented former President Uhuru Kenyatta at the burial, called for unity among leaders, saying the region needed a coordinated political approach ahead of the next General Election.

Wamalwa expressed confidence that efforts to unite Luhya leaders and voters behind a common political direction would continue, while other leaders at the ceremony called for cooperation rather than division.

Bisau, meanwhile, urged politicians to respect one another’s political positions and focus on selling their policies to voters rather than attacking their rivals.

“Ukiwa one term au two term usitukane kanisa ya mwenzako, wacha kila mtu auze sera zake,” he said.

The burial of Nabwera, remembered for his contribution to Kenya’s diplomacy and public service, thus became a stage for wider political discussions over regional unity, opposition strategy and the race for State House in 2027.