Sunday mass at African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) church in Mwea turned into a scene reminiscent of a wrestling match as worshippers attacked each other just as the service was about to commence.
Reports by Citizen Digital revealed that the confrontation began after two groups differed over who would lead the service, with both teams adamant that their prefered servant of God should take the mantle.
The two groups, one led by Archdeacon John Kamau and the other by Archdeacon Naftali Mwangi, soon started hurling despicable insults at each other despite being in God's house.
Tempers soon flared resulting in a physical altercation in which parishioners threw blows, kicks and whatever was within reach at each other, bringing the service to a bloody end.
The fracas soon found it's way outside the church where the worshippers pelted stones at each other before the area chief and anti-riot police stepped in to separate the warring groups.
By this point, 10 members of the church were reportedly rushed to hospital after sustaining injuries, with Archdeacon Kamau suffering a head injury following what was claimed to be an assault on him using a shepherd's staff.
The injured Archdeacon went on to accuse his colleague of attacking him and trying to forcefully evict him from the church during the confrontation.
"My colleague thrashed me with the shepherd staff until it broke into pieces, forcing me to take off for my life," he disclosed.
However, Mr Mwangi denied the allegation, stating that Mr Kamau sustained his injury when he hit the church's wall during the skirmishes.
The local chief, Joseph Kariuki, upon taking control of the situation ordered that the church be closed down indefinitely until the two factions found an amicable solution to their wrangles.
"I have summoned the two groups to my office next week to discuss the matter and chart the way forward," Mr Kariuki asserted.
