NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 31 – A funeral in Kitui descended into chaos after a disagreement erupted between the bereaved family and priests over when friends of the deceased should be allowed to deliver their tributes.
Tension mounted as the clergy reportedly sought to bring the ceremony to an end and proceed with the burial, but the family resisted, insisting that those who had come to mourn their friend be given an opportunity to speak.
The standoff was captured in a video circulating on social media, showing a priest approaching a man who was addressing mourners from the podium.
The man, who was holding the microphone, appeared unwilling to hand over control of the programme and instead told the priest to return to his seat.
“No, no, Father, wait. Father, go back to your seat. You’ve come just right now. You cannot come and determine what is happening in the family,” the man is heard telling the priest.
“We are here to console our brother. Go back to your seat,” he added.
The exchange attracted the attention of mourners, with murmurs heard as the two appeared to disagree over who should determine the next item on the funeral programme.
The confrontation followed a reported disagreement over time, with the priests saying the burial could not be delayed further.
According to accounts accompanying the video, the family had scheduled a series of testimonies and speeches by friends of the deceased before the interment and wanted the programme to continue until they had all spoken.
The clergy reportedly proposed a different arrangement that the body be buried first before the remaining tributes were delivered afterwards.
The family allegedly rejected the proposal, maintaining that the speeches were part of the farewell and should be completed before the burial.
What began as a disagreement over the order of events then appeared to escalate into an open standoff between the family and the clergy.
The priest seen in the video eventually walked away from the podium and headed towards a nearby tent.
He is later seen appearing to remove his liturgical vestments before reportedly leaving the ceremony.
“We have contributed to the deceased as he was ailing in Kenyatta National Hospital.We deserve a chance to speak,”the MC stated.
The clergy’s departure disrupted the funeral programme as mourners watched the unusual turn of events.
