The Kikuyu Council of Elders (KCE), Nyeri branch has warned leaders of a supposed ceremony to be held on Saturday at the Mt Kenya Shrine in Naromoru, Nyeri County to keep off politics from the holy sites.
Led by Mr Njoroge Maingi, the elders warned that they do not want a replica of what happened at Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga shrine in Murang’â County during the controversial coronation of the National Assembly Speaker Justine Muturi, two weeks ago.
“Kuna maneno tunasikia watu wengine wanakuja Mt Kenya Shrine ambapo wanaenda kuomba kufanya mambo,” (There are reports that certain people are planning to go to Mt Kenya Shrine to do their ‘things’) Maingi said.
Speaking yesterday in Nyeri town, Maingi asserted that Nyeri residents will not tolerate violence and asked those planning for the ceremony to seek direction and follow the right procedure.
“Hiyo mambo ilikuwa Murang’â, itakuja Nyeri, iende Nanyuki na kwingineko,” (That violence witnessed in Murang’â will spill over to Nyeri, Nyanyuki and other places), Maingi added.
There are reports going round in Nyeri County that a group of Kikuyu elders are planning to coronate National Assembly Speaker Justine Muturi at Mt Kenya Shrine in a ceremony similar to that of Murangâa.
Maingi said traditional shrines are places of worship and not for any other ceremony like that held at Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga where Muturi was made the Kikuyu spokesman.
He stressed that President Uhuru Kenyatta was currently in custody of the ‘Muthigi’ (Kikuyu Leadership baton) and had not passed it on to anyone else.
He at the same time rubbished the coronation of Muturi saying to be crowned as a kikuyu elder, the ceremony is held in open fields and not shrines.
Maingi further noted that the late president Jomo Kenyatta, Retired President Mwai Kibaki and President Uhuru were made the kikuyu spokespersons in open grounds posing “Is Muturi special from them†.
Speaking during the same occasion, elder Simon Njuguna Waiganjo echoed the sentiments of Mr Maingi adding that the right procedures should be followed to install a person as a Kikuyu spokesman.
Waiganjo maintained that President Uhuru Kenyatta was still the kikuyu spokesman and wondered why Speaker Muturi was not installed in his home County.
Mrs Mary Wachuka Kinyua, the KCE women league national organizing secretary and Nyeri county women leader appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta to show the community the direction to follow.
Wachuka said there was confusion among the community and President Uhuru should come out and give clear directions.
Elsewhere, the custodian of the Mt Kenya shrine Mr Wambugu Nyamu has dared the organizers of the supposed ceremony at the Shrine to keep off politics.
Nyamu who was speaking at Mathingira matatu cultural Shrine at Chaka town said the site is only used for those seeking divine intervention and not for other purposes.
He spoke after a meeting with ‘Wagongoni’ (Kikuyu traditional prayer pillars) from different parts of the country like Kiambu and Laikipia.
Nyamu dismissed coronation of Speaker Justine Muturi as a kikuyu spokesman noting that it was not done procedurally and the organizers were only after pecuniary gains.
He sent a warning to leaders from the mountain not to dare politicize the sacred places. “If anyone wants to do politics, go to the stadiums and not the sacred places. The kikuyu sacred places are powerful and anyone who dares to do politics there will see fire,” noted Nyamu.
He also advised National Assembly Speaker Justine Muturi to bring all the elders from the mountain together for them to agree if he will be the spokesperson for the GEMA community.
Nyamu said that the Kikuyu community has structured stages of conducting ceremonies and the right procedures should be followed for acceptance.
He warned the organizers of dire consequences from the prayers of the elders if they go ahead to politicize sacred places.
A ‘Mugongoni’ from Kiambu Mr Njoroge Njari, 75, said that the elders are not involved in the ongoing politics from the mountain region adding that their role is to pray for the community and the country during times of calamities like the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic.
“As you can see, we have been here since the day before yesterday for prayers and anybody who wants to know anything should come and ask from here but not the Shrines. We are here praying for our country, our leaders, children and the corona pandemic. We are not here for politics and we are not divided,†Njari asserted.
“We do not ask for money from anyone but we pray and sacrifice to our God for solutions and end of a calamity,” he added.