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The controversy surrounding the coronation of National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi as the spokesman of the Mt Kenya region continued to grow yesterday after another group of elders from the region disowned the ritual.

Kirinyaga Council of Elders joined their Murang’a counterparts in disassociating themselves from the weekend ceremony.

Led by council chairperson Cyrus Githaka, the elders said they do not recognise the purported installation of a new regional spokesperson, saying  cultural procedures were not fully observed.

Two spokespersons

Githaka argued that the region could not have two spokespersons at the same time considering that President Uhuru Kenyatta is still in power and thus remains the spokesperson of the community.

“We only recognise President Uhuru Kenyatta as the current supreme leader of the GEMA community and not anyone else,” he said.

Githaka said the Muturi coronation ceremony had also violated all the established procedures, including involving the elders from the entire region.

“We did not receive any message from Muturi or the organisers of the ceremony. How then can they presume to unite the communities?” Githaka posed.

Muturi warned

The chairperson accused a group of individuals whom he said were claiming to be members of the Agikuyu Council of Elders of misleading Muturi for their own selfish interests.

“President Kenyatta has not communicated to the Council and expressed his intention to retire as the region’s kingpin neither has he confided to the Council of his inability to perform the function. Muturi should watch out, seek the necessary counsel and follow the right procedure,” he said.

Githaka, who is also a bishop of a church in Kirinyaga, urged the Mt Kenya region to continue supporting President Kenyatta to enable him fulfill his mandate of delivering the government’s development agenda in the region and the entire country.

“For now, let us support him to complete his term. If he wishes to retire as the region’s kingpin next year, then he will point to his successor who we must gauge whether he is capable of assuming the mantle. There is still time and people should not rush in saying who is suitable to take up the job,” he said.

Githaka also urged residents to maintain unity and desist from destructive politics which, he warned, could ruin the development of the region.

Two weeks ago, Githaka led the Kirinyaga Chapter delegation in hosting the Njuri–Ncheke elders in Sagana.

He said during the cultural meeting, the issue of making Muturi the region spokesperson did not come up.

Mukurwe shrine

“We agreed to have another meeting in about two weeks’ time that would bring together elders from the GEMA community. We cannot discuss the politics of the region without everyone on board,” he added.

On Saturday, Muturi was installed as the Mt Kenya region spokesperson in a ceremony conducted by a group of elders at Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga shrine in Murang’a County. -KNA