How Agikuyu culture is being politicized in Mt Kenya region

A section of the elders of the Agikuyu elders and lawyers led by Ndegwa Njiru praying while facing Mt Kenya after a case filed against senior citizens was dropped by the State on February. The case has been reduced to a political duel between the government and the Opposition. Photo by Joseph Gathigara

A case involving 23 senior citizens from Muranga County has turned out to be an avenue to attract political mileage pitting the Opposition team led by Martha Karua and the government luminaries.

The senior citizens aged between 57 to 90 years were arrested at Mukurwe Wa Nyagathanga, a gazette shrine on December 31 last year where they had gone to conduct the Agikuyu cultural ceremony to pass over a new year.

They were arrested and charged with being members of the proscribed Mungiki sect, a move that saw a team of leaders from the Opposition join in the matter as defenders of the Agikuyu traditions.

When the matter reached the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, he promised to intervene and have the case dropped to allow the Kikuyu elders and the Agikuyu community to continue practicing their cultural rites without censorship.

“We are looking at the issue to see how our senior citizens can have their cases withdrawn but we must look at ways to ensure that the dreadful and notorious Mungiki sect does not creep back to our community,” Gachagua said two weeks ago in Muranga County.

On February 20, the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) filed an application at the Muranga law courts seeing to withdraw the matter on Section 87(a) of the Criminal Procedure Code but the lawyers who included Karua, Kioni and Ndegwa Njiru, all from the Opposition side opposed the move and instead compelled the State to withdraw the case in totality.

On Wednesday, Senior Principal Magistrate Edwin Nyaga, agreed with the prosecution and okayed the proposal to withdraw the case, a move that Karua and her team were not satisfied with the court ruling and were apprehensive that the section of the penal code called for the conditional release of the senior citizens and that there was room for intimidations in future.

 “The ruling leaves a loophole for the Agikuyu members to be arrested and charged with the very same charges that the senior citizens faced. We shall look into other avenues in the laws to see how the victims can get their rights compensated. We still hold that the State releases the 14 vehicles detained in Nyeri for our youth that went for prayers in Nyeri to be released,” Karua said.

Kioni said “The last time we had this kind of harassment and intimidation as a community was under the KANU regime. We can see this being replayed. The intention of these charges that have been referred to as being members of Mungiki have nothing else other than to intimidate and harass Kikuyus,” Kioni said.

“We will not exist by the virtue of the whims and wishes of individuals. We are here as a matter of right and we shall demonstrate it to the highest level that we can, and that is why we have objected to the withdrawal of that case. This case is not a trial of the 22, it is a trial of the entire Kikuyus, Mt Kenya region,” lawyer Njiru added.

The Deputy President has now weighed in on the matter accusing the Opposition of blowing the issue out of proportion and at the same time asking the police not to interfere with the Agikuyu cultural rights.

 “I have said that everywhere that there are cultural rituals by our elders, they should be allowed to conduct them. I want this community to be protected and respected.

He said he had directed all the security bosses to respect the Agikuyu cultural practices and rituals.

He however reiterated that he could not allow the elements of the Mungiki sect to be revived urging the Kikuyu elders from Mt Kenya region to desist from individuals who infiltrate their shrines with evil intentions.

“Our elders should take care not to allow the rituals to be hijacked by people who have evil intentions. I will hold talks with the elders so that they guide us as a community,” Gachagua said.

While emphasizing on the unity and cohesion of Mt Kenya region, the Deputy President also urged the locals to remain united and shun being divided.

 “We must reject leaders trying to divide us. Let us remember that our unity is our strength. As the leader of this community I’m ready to unite the region,” he added.

He challenged the community elders and parents to deliberately teach young people about their past, guide and mentor them accordingly, especially the boy child.

Gachagua announced that he would be arranging for a meeting between the police bosses and the Agikuyu elders to come up with an agreement on how to conduct their ceremonies without interference from the police.

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