In a significant move, around 30,000 elders from the Gikuyu, Embu, Mbeere, and Meru communities have endorsed Kithure Kindiki as the spokesperson and representative of the wider Mt Kenya region. The endorsement took place at Kirigiti Stadium in Kiambu county, marking a substantial shift in the region's political landscape. This development comes as a counterpoint to recent efforts by Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku to promote a distinct Mt Kenya East identity.
Speaking at the event, Kindiki emphasized the importance of unity in the region, warning that division would create political problems. He stressed that the communities share cultural and business ties, making division unnecessary. Kindiki urged those attempting to divide the region to desist from their efforts. The elders, representing various groups such as Kiama Kia Ma and Njuri Ncheke, pledged to promote unity and support the government's development agenda.
The event also saw Ruku, who had been central to the Mt Kenya East identity campaign, symbolically return an axe that had come to represent the division efforts. The elders then handed him a flywhisk, tasking him with promoting reconciliation and unity. Ruku stated that elders from Mt Kenya East and West had agreed to move forward as "one undivided Mt Kenya region" and directed Kindiki to lead the region as its spokesperson.
This development appears to be an attempt by the Ruto administration to transform what had seemed to be an East-West political project into a broader mobilisation around Kindiki. The move comes amid growing political competition in the region following Ruto's fallout with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Gachagua has positioned himself as a leading voice of the mountain and has repeatedly accused Ruto of seeking to weaken Mt Kenya's political bargaining power.
Gachagua dismissed the Kirigiti declaration, stating it was evidence that the effort to divide the region had failed. He directly targeted Kindiki, using the Mugumo tree as a metaphor for the difficulty of splitting the region. Gachagua alleged that elders attending the meeting had been paid Sh3,000 each and described the return of the axe as an admission of failure.
Political analyst Prof Peter Kagwanja noted that the Kirigiti event had drawn a new battle line between Gachagua and Kindiki. Within the UDA space, Kindiki scored by being endorsed as the region's spokesperson and as the senior-most leader from Mt Kenya in government. However, this endorsement created complications due to a previous declaration of Justin Muturi as spokesperson by elders.
The Kirigiti declaration has already faced resistance from Mt Kenya West leaders, with Ndia MP George Kariuki and Juja MP George Koimburi challenging the declaration. They argued that elected leaders and local communities should have been consulted. Kariuki questioned the legitimacy of a stadium gathering representing the entire region, emphasizing the need for direct engagement with communities.
Key points
- Kindiki endorsed as spokesperson for Mt Kenya region
- Gachagua dismisses Kirigiti declaration as failed attempt to divide region
- Mt Kenya West leaders resist Kirigiti declaration, citing lack of consultation
