Chaos erupted at the African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) in Kurundas, Nyeri County on Sunday after a disagreement.
The members outside the church were seen physically attacking each other after the weekly service was disrupted which attracted the attention of passersby.
According to reports, the whole episode was triggered by a plan to effect changes to the church's leadership which some members did not agree with leading to the confrontation between two factions.
Photos and videos from the church showed the extent of the discord between the elders. While some of them engaged in physical fights, others watched on, perplexed at the trajectory events had taken within a short period.
To highlight the level of discord, some congregation members had been locked outside the church as the service progressed.
The altercations between the church members have elicited mixed reactions amongst Kenyans who questioned why church leaders were setting a bad example, considering that they are expected to demonstrate leadership.
"What is this, a church should be a place where tranquility thrives," one online user commented.
Others questioned what could have prompted the situation to degenerate so quickly and why no one intervened.
This comes a few months after Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua mediated a 17-year wrangle between different AIPCA factions. The wrangles had culminated in lengthy court battles.
In a meeting held in November, Gachagua successfully brokered a truce between the factions ahead of the elections.
"They have committed that the church will be one, and the issue of factions will come to an end on Friday," Gachagua stated.
Notably, this is among several conflicts to erupt in churches over leadership wrangles. In December, a church service in Nairobi was interrupted by protests from the congregation.
The congregation complained that the bishop was demanding a Toyota Prado despite the church experiencing various financial challenges.
Following the episode, the congregants demanded the bishop to be transferred.
