Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has intensified his political engagements across Mt Kenya in recent weeks, meeting with elders, church leaders, business leaders, and grassroots networks. These efforts aim to rebuild ties between the region and President William Ruto's administration. Kindiki's engagements have spanned Mt Kenya East to the western side of the mountain, positioning himself as a bridge between the region and the national government.
On September 19, Kindiki hosted over 10,000 elders from the GEMA community at Kirigiti Stadium, where he emphasized the importance of peace and unity in the region. He pledged to ensure the region receives its rightful share of development and to assist President Ruto in maintaining Kenya's unity and peace. Kindiki expressed sadness over the divisive talk that had prevailed in the region for months and appreciated the efforts of elders to address the situation.
The call for unity comes after months of political activity, with leaders from different parts of Mt Kenya taking divergent positions on how the region should organize itself politically ahead of 2027. Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku had previously used a symbolic axe to represent the divide between Mt Kenya East and Mt Kenya West, sparking fresh tensions. However, at Kirigiti, Ruku returned the axe to the elders, who handed him a flywhisk as a symbol of reconciliation and unity.
Njuri Ncheke Council of Elders Secretary-General for Operations Josphat Murangiri stated that Kindiki had been tasked with reaching out to all leaders and ensuring peace and unity across the region. Murangiri praised Kindiki for pushing government projects across Mt Kenya and emphasized that development was crucial to the relationship between the government and communities in the region.
Murangiri further explained that the Kirigiti event was meant for elders, not politicians, and that this was why political leaders were not invited or given an opportunity to speak. He noted that elders had agreed to lead politicians to the right path and were happy that the unity call across the region was gaining momentum. The elders' intervention aims to prevent political differences among leaders from spilling over into communities that share cultural and historical ties.
Kikuyu Council of Elders National Patron Wachira Kiago echoed Murangiri's sentiments, emphasizing that all leaders within the Mt Kenya region should work together, regardless of their political affiliations. Kiago stated that the Mt Kenya community should always work together, as it had done in the past, and that elders would reach out to all leaders within GEMA and Kamba elders as part of a comprehensive unity initiative.
Political analysts argue that Kindiki's recent efforts give him a broader platform to pursue his outreach across Mt Kenya, particularly as competing political interests seek to define the region's direction ahead of 2027. Analyst Albert Kasembeli believes that Kindiki is attempting to change the structure through which political authority in the region is exercised, placing elders and cultural institutions at the center of the conversation.
Key points
- Deputy President Kindiki is rebuilding Mt Kenya's base ahead of the 2027 elections by meeting with elders, church leaders, and business leaders to promote unity and development in the region.
- Kindiki's efforts aim to position him as a bridge between Mt Kenya and the national government, with a focus on changing the institution through which political authority in the region is exercised.
- The recent Kirigiti gathering has sparked debate among political actors, with some questioning its mandate to speak for the entire Mt Kenya region.
