No, video does not show Kenya's parliament speaker predicting his death or giving burial instructions
IN SHORT: Social media posts claim to show a video from early 2026 of national assembly speaker Moses Wetang'ula describing how he wants to be buried. But the video is nearly 12 years old and taken out of context.
Users on TikTok and other platforms in Kenya are posting a video clip of national assembly speaker Moses Wetang'ula, talking about what should happen when he dies.
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In the clip, he says he would like doctors to carry his coffin, gold and diamonds scattered along the path to his grave and his hands left hanging outside the coffin.
The posts are shared with dramatic music, coffin images and captions suggesting he is predicting his death or sending a secret message.
Some posts refer to a "torch". One reads: "Wetangula predicted his DEATH!" Another, in Kiswahili, asks: "Wait, is this torch shining on Wetangula? He is refusing a state funeral. Is there a secret he knows, or what message is he sending to Kenyans?"
The posts have attracted more than 92,000 views, 1,800 likes and hundreds of comments. But is the video genuine? We checked.
Wetang'ula's background and ties to late politician
Wetang'ula is a veteran politician and speaker of Kenya's national assembly. In late 2025, the death of former politician Cyrus Jirongo in a road accident sparked public debate, with his family and some allies raising suspicions about the circumstances of his death.
During funeral discussions, there were suggestions that he be buried with a torch. This is a traditional practice in some Kenyan communities, symbolising the search for truth when foul play is suspected.
Wetang'ula was among the last people seen with Jirongo. This may be why torches are mentioned in the viral video.
The posts allege Wetangula's remarks are tied to Jirongo's death.
The video is old and taken out of context
A keyword search of phrases heard in the video leads to the original footage where Wetangula made these remarks. It was uploaded on YouTube on 20 March 2013 and is titled: "Moses Wetangula speech CORD leaders forum Bomas."
The speech was delivered shortly after the 2013 general elections, when the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy, or CORD, was challenging the presidential results.
In the full video, Wetang'ula was not speaking about his own death. He was recounting a well-known story about Alexander the Great, who is said to have asked that on his death, doctors carry his coffin, his wealth be scattered along the path and his hands left outside the coffin.
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Wetang'ula used the story to criticise greed and make a political point at the time. The viral clips remove this context and present the remarks as personal burial instructions.
The speech being shared online is more than a decade old and has been misleadingly reframed.
