A group of Kikuyu elders from Kirinyaga County has come out strongly to oppose any attempts to divide Mount Kenya region into separate political blocs. The elders said that such moves are dangerous and could tear the community apart for the benefit of a few politicians who are chasing power.
Speaking through their representative, Chief Elder Muriithi Warutere, the group expressed their disappointment with leaders who are not even from Kirinyaga making decisions about the region's political future. Warutere said that the elders are tired of seeing outsiders making what he called "absurd proclamations" about which parts of Kirinyaga should belong to Mount Kenya East and which should be part of Mount Kenya West.
The elders, who belong to the Kiama Kia Ma outfit, decided to stay away from a recent meeting that was held in Embu. That meeting brought together elders from the Njuri Ncheke Supreme Council, Nyaangi Ndiriri, Kiama Kia Muembu, Ngome and Mwea Council of Elders. The Kirinyaga group felt that the meeting was being used to push a particular political agenda that they do not agree with.
Another elder, Waweru Mugo from Mwea, shared similar sentiments. Mugo said that the proposed political changes are being driven by people who are looking to gain power, not by the genuine needs of the people living in the region. He called on political leaders to stop treating Kirinyaga and the wider Mount Kenya area as tools to use for their own political games. Mugo argued that the residents themselves should be allowed to decide where they want to go politically, especially as the country prepares for the 2027 general election.
John Gathungu, yet another elder, also weighed in on the matter. Gathungu said that political announcements made by individuals cannot change who Kirinyaga is as a community or decide who should speak on behalf of its people. He went further to clarify that Kirinyaga's borders run from River Sagana to River Rupingazi, and that anyone trying to classify areas like Mwea and Gichugu as part of a separate Mount Kenya East political block has no authority to do so.
The elders emphasized that Kirinyaga has elected leaders, including the governor, Members of Parliament and Members of County Assembly, who have the mandate to represent the interests of the people. They insisted that important political decisions affecting the county should never be made by individuals without getting approval from the people who live there.
Gathungu also reminded people about the historical connections that bind the Gikuyu, Embu and Meru communities together under what is known as GEMA. He said that their ancestors brought these three groups together, and that is what the people of Mount Kenya recognize and respect. According to Gathungu, they will not accept being divided just so that a few people can benefit politically.
Warutere made it clear that even though they have good relations with their neighbors in Embu and Mbeere, the Kirinyaga elders will not accept being divided. He stressed that they are all one people and that they all belong to one region, which is Mount Kenya, and that they speak with one voice when it comes to their identity.
However, it appears that the elders from Embu had different ideas when they met. They formed what they called the Mount Kenya East Councils of Elders and used the opportunity to endorse Deputy President Kithure Kindiki as the running mate for President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election. They also backed his future presidential ambitions. The Embu elders seem to believe that Mount Kenya East has for many years supported leaders from Mount Kenya West, and it is now time for the western side to return the favor by supporting Kindiki.
The Kirinyaga elders, however, have made it clear that they cannot use the Embu declaration to decide their own county's political direction without asking the people first. They said they have mandated their councils to engage with Mount Kenya West elders, including those from Kiama Kia Ma, in efforts to build a common political position. But they have been very firm that any decision about Kirinyaga's political future must involve the residents of the county.
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