This archive report was first published on 25 November 2019.
On November 25, 2019, a heated confrontation unfolded in Emurua Dikir, Narok County, between 68-year-old Ezekiel Bartany and his 30-year-old nephew, Robinson Kirui.
The dispute centered around Kirui's decision to exclude Bartany from a dowry negotiation delegation, a move that left the elderly man feeling disrespected and angry.
According to Emanuel Lagat, a local familiar with the incident, Bartany caused a scene, demanding to know why he was discriminated against in preparing the list of emissaries, despite being like a father to Kirui.
Bartany allegedly threatened to invoke a curse on the marriage, stating, "You paid bus fare for your friends and other elders from home, but chose to ignore me. Yet I am your only living paternal uncle. Now that your father died, technically I am your father."
He also scoffed, saying, "You chose to discriminate against me. You might regret that reckless decision. When getting a wife, you need blessings from people like us, but here you are forcing me to say bad things about you."
Kirui, however, cited an incident in which Bartany committed grave mistakes during a dowry negotiation, which led to him being excluded from the delegation.
As the situation escalated, Bartany was accused of getting high on a brew served during the function, causing him to lose control and become a nuisance.
