Tension at A Requiem Mass as Mudavadi and Wetang’ula Reportedly Walk Out As Sifuna Address Mourners

A requiem mass for veteran diplomat Mzee Burudi Nabwera was reportedly overshadowed by a dramatic political moment on Wednesday, October 21, after Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula allegedly walked out following an invitation to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna to address mourners.

The service, held at Friends Church in Lang’ata, Nairobi, brought together leaders to honour Nabwera, a former Cabinet minister and Kenya’s first ambassador to the United States.

The reported incident has drawn attention to the widening political divide among leaders from the Luhya community, with the three politicians increasingly associated with opposing camps ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Mudavadi and Wetang’ula are backing President William Ruto’s second-term bid, while Sifuna has positioned himself among the leading voices of the opposition-aligned Linda Mwananchi movement, which opposes Ruto’s re-election ambitions.

Their contrasting political positions have placed them on opposite sides of an increasingly heated contest over the direction of national leadership and the political future of Western Kenya.

Mudavadi, who serves as Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary, has defended the government’s leadership and called for political support for Ruto. Wetang’ula has also backed the President’s re-election bid, making the two senior leaders key figures in the administration’s efforts to consolidate support in the region.

Sifuna, meanwhile, has emerged as a prominent critic of the broad-based arrangement between Ruto’s administration and a section of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). Through Linda Mwananchi, he has continued to challenge the government and rally support for an alternative political direction.

The reported walkout has therefore attracted interest because it involves three influential leaders from the same community whose political loyalties are increasingly divided.

However, it remains unclear whether the alleged departure was directly linked to Sifuna’s invitation to speak. Without confirmation from the leaders or additional evidence establishing the circumstances, the reason for the reported walkout remains unverified.

Nabwera, who served as Kenya’s first ambassador to the United States and first permanent representative to the United Nations, was also the first Member of Parliament for Lugari Constituency. His career spanned diplomacy, politics and public service.

He died on October 8, 2026, and is scheduled to be buried on Saturday, October 24, at his home in Sango Farm, Kiminini, Trans Nzoia County.

As the country edges closer to the 2027 elections, the reported incident has brought renewed attention to the political divisions among leaders from Western Kenya, where competing alliances are positioning themselves for influence in the next electoral contest.

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