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Elders who hosted National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and had him coronated as Mt. Kenya spokesman two weeks ago have defended their move saying its for the interest of the region.

However, the elders said they did not coronate the speaker but only blessed him as he undertakes the new role.

Led d by the Murang’a Kikuyu Council of Elders chairman Kiarie Rugami, the elders also defended their move to conduct Muturi’s coronation at the Mukuruwe wa Nyagathanga shrine saying he is allowed to visit the place which is believed to be the cradle of the Kikuyu community.

“Muturi is one of us and he has the right to visit his parents home just like any other person who would wish to do so” he said.

Addressing the press in Murang’a on Thursday the elders said over 600,000 elders from the Mt. Kenya region had agreed on this event but a few were opposed to it.

“There are those who were opposed to this and we tried reaching out to them to know what their reasons could be but they remained adamant” he said.

He however expressed his concerns over the negative impression which has been created over their event saying those doing so want to put the elders in bad light.

He castigated the move by the opponents to cleanse the shrine after the coronation terming it as a show of arrogance.

He said all the necessary protocols were observed during the event and only selected elders entered the shrine.

“Not everybody was allowed into the shrine and we were careful not to break any rules while entering here and carrying out the activities” he said.

Rugami also said they are planning to go to a shrine in Mt. Kenya commonly referred to as ‘Kirima gia Kirinyaga’ to seek blessings for the speaker.

“Wherever our forefathers wanted to pray to seek blessings or intervention on any issue they went to thismountain and we shall also be doing the same this weekend” he said.

He said the political leaders have failed to give direction which the region should follow and they took it upon themselves to get someone who can negotiate on behalf of the region.

With only slightly over one year to the general elections, he said, the region need to put its house in order to be able to bargain for its interests at the national level.

Peter Kagwanja the branch council’s patron on his part said making Muturi the spokesman does not show any disregard to the president Uhuru Kenyatta.

Kagwanja said Uhuru does not have the leadership stuff for the region as it being claimed because he is a national leader.

“Constitutionally, Uhuru cannot be the regional spokesman because he ought to represent the interests of the entire nation,” Kagwanja said.

He added that though in 2010 Uhuru was crowned as the regional kingpin, the leadership shifted when he was elected president.

“He can only be the spokesperson when he comes home to discuss local matters but not at any other time,” Kagwanja said.

He however said doors of the shrine are open and any other person who wishes to go there is free.