What began as a political debate quickly turned into a heated war of words after Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara and Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris clashed over the 2007 post-election violence and accusations of political incitement.
The dramatic confrontation unfolded live on TV47 Breakfast Show, with the two trading accusations until the discussion descended into shouting, insults and an apparent threat of physical confrontation.
The tension began after Passaris brought up the 2007 violence, linking Kihara to the turmoil that rocked Naivasha following the disputed presidential election.
“When I think of Naivasha, and I think of 2007, Jane, you were right at the centre of all that mess,” Passaris told Kihara.
Passaris went on to refer to the principle that “he who comes to equity must come with clean hands”, arguing that Kihara could not condemn political incitement while allegedly engaging in similar conduct.
Her remarks immediately drew a furious response from Kihara.
“What did I do? Esther, what did I do? What was I investigated for?” the Naivasha MP demanded, interjecting repeatedly.
Passaris told Kihara that “the truth hurts” and accused her of demonstrating the same violent tendencies she was criticising.
“It’s the same incitement that you’re doing now!” Passaris fired back.
The exchange became increasingly personal, with Kihara telling Passaris, “Don’t be silly!”
The Naivasha MP then challenged Passaris over her knowledge of the events that unfolded in the constituency during the post-election violence.
“You’re being stupid now!” Kihara exclaimed before angrily flinging a newspaper onto the table.
The most dramatic moment came when Kihara, visibly agitated, appeared to threaten physical confrontation.
“I could hit her! I could hit her! She has no idea about what happened in Naivasha!” Kihara stated.
Passaris immediately turned the remark back on her opponent.
“You see how violent she can be?” she responded.
With the exchange spiralling out of control, TV47 Breakfast Show host Fred Indimuli was forced to intervene, temporarily muting the lawmakers’ microphones to regain control of the programme.
Kihara was later seen attempting to remove her microphone.
“I can’t do it with Esther…” she said as the heated exchange continued.
The argument revived memories of the violence that followed Kenya’s disputed 2007 presidential election, with Naivasha emerging as one of the areas heavily affected by revenge attacks.
Almost 20 years later, the heated exchange between Kihara and Passaris showed that the events of 2007 still carry strong political emotions, turning a discussion on political incitement into a tense and dramatic moment on live television.
