Chaos briefly erupted at the Maa Cultural and Tourism Festival in Narok County on Saturday, November 14, 2026, temporarily disrupting the celebrations as President William Ruto arrived at Sekenani Gate for the event.
The commotion stemmed from clashes between rival groups of supporters allegedly allied to Narok West Member of Parliament Gabriel Tongoyo and Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu, bringing proceedings at the cultural gathering to a standstill.
Footage from the scene showed crowds scrambling across the venue as plastic chairs were hurled near the main dais, leaving several broken and scattered across the grounds. While the confrontation broke out just as President Ruto approached the main arena, it was not immediately clear whether the Head of State had already taken his seat at the dais when the scuffle began.
Some attendees were spotted brandishing traditional Maasai rungus as journalists and media crews hurriedly evacuated their equipment from around the VIP podium amid rising tensions. Order was eventually restored after Governor Ole Ntutu and Narok Senator Ledama Olekina intervened to appeal for calm, allowing the rival factions to settle and the festival to proceed.
It remained unclear what sparked the confrontation or whether anyone sustained injuries during the brief melee.
