Jayne Kihara and Esther Passaris Clash Over 2007 Violence Allegations
By Irine Otieno
A tense live television debate turned explosive after Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara and Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris clashed over political incitement and allegations linked to the deadly 2007 post-election violence.
The heated exchange on TV47 began after Passaris brought up the events in Naivasha, telling Kihara, “When I think of Naivasha, and I think of 2007, Jane, you were right at the centre of all that mess.”
Passaris went on to invoke the principle that “he who comes to equity must come with clean hands”, accusing Kihara of engaging in the same incitement she was criticising and claiming she was among those investigated.
Kihara, visibly angry, repeatedly challenged the allegations, asking, “What did I do? Esther, what did I do? What was I investigated for?”
As the argument intensified, Passaris told her, “the truth hurts”, before adding, “It’s the same incitement that you’re doing now!”
Kihara fired back, “Don’t be silly!”, and later told Passaris, “You’re being stupid now!” before angrily flinging a newspaper onto the table.
The exchange reached another level when Kihara declared, “I could hit her! I could hit her! She has no idea about what happened in Naivasha!”
Passaris immediately responded, “You see how violent she can be?”
The moderator, Fred Indimuli, was forced to intervene and temporarily mute their microphones as he attempted to restore order. Kihara was later seen trying to remove her microphone, saying, “I can’t do it with Esther…”
Naivasha was among the areas affected by retaliatory violence following the disputed 2007 Kenyan general election. Investigations by the Waki Commission and the ICC later examined allegations surrounding the organisation and financing of attacks in the region.
While Kihara was mentioned in political and civil society discourse surrounding the events in Naivasha, she was never formally charged by the ICC. She later stated that she declined offers to become a prosecution witness and instead served as a defence witness during the ICC proceedings involving Kenyan leaders.
