A cultural group in Kiambu seeking to return the Kikuyu community to its traditions has caught the attention of security officers and the church.
Gwata Ndai Cultural Association operates in Kiambu county and is spreading to neighbouring areas.
Though Gwata Ndai officials have denied the group is a cult, the Kiambu county commissioner has said the group's activities are being investigated.
The Gikuyu phrase Gwata Ndai loosely translates to "solve the riddle".
The group allegedly promotes female genital mutilation and discourages members from attending church services. But group officials have denied the allegations.
It operates in Ndumberi, Kiambu, and has opened branches in Githunguri, Nderu in Ndeiya, Limuru and Mai Mahiu in Naivasha.
Kiambu Governor James Nyoro on Sunday called on the security apparatus to thoroughly investigate the group.
Kiambu county commissioner Wilson Wanyanga said on Tuesday the group was being investigated because their dealings were secretive. No one has, however, come forth legally to complain about the group.
“The matter is under investigation since we have established that 10 women ran away from their matrimonial homes for fear of being circumcised after their husbands joined the association. We need women to come out and prove they underwent circumcision under the association,” the administrator said.
Wanyanga said the Kiambu subcounty security team has been ordered to stay on high alert and trail any suspicious activities or illegal groupings led by a leader terming himself Mutaari (the high priest) of the association. The high priest is said to be living at Kiamumbi estate, Kiambu subcounty.
Wanyanga said he had confided in Kiama Kia Ma elders, who are known promoters of Kikuyu cultural values, and they confirmed that the meetings held by the Gwata Ndai group do not conform with the Kikuyu culture.
The elders said they did not recognise the association's activities.
Nairobi Catholic archbishop John Cardinal Njue on Sunday raised concerns over the group, claiming it was swaying Christians away from the church.
He said the group had adverse effects on individuals, families, churches and society. The cleric said the group bore the characteristics of a cult and instilled fear on individuals to inculcate their doctrines and enforce their practices in them.
"Numerous cases of family disintegration and conflicts, especially on women and children, have been reported," Njue said.
But officials of Gwata Ndai on Tuesday said they would seek legal redress to prove they are not a cult but a legal group.
Speaking in Kiambu at the association's headquarters, chairman Kimani Charagu told the Star it was wrong to portray the association in a bad light.
Charagu said allegations by the church and media that the group promoted female genital mutilation were untrue.
“FGM is an illegal business and if it really happens as some are saying, we have security personnel who always attend our meetings. It is evil to make such claims against our association,” he said.
The group's chairman said security officers and religious leaders attend their meetings. The meetings are held at Hannah’s grounds in Ndumberi.
“We meet on the first and third Sundays of the month and Gwata Ndai is an open forum where all interested persons are welcome. We do not discriminate,” he said.
Charagu said between 900 and 1,000 people attend the meetings. The next meeting is slated for Sunday, March 15, 2020.
He said they do not have a prescribed dress code for men and women attending the meeting, although women wearing trousers often carry a ‘lesso’ to wrap themselves as a sign of respect.
Charagu also denied claims that men were ordered not to shave their beards.
He said the association was registered as a community-based organisation (CBO) in 2015 to promote cultural values, harmonious co-existence, peace and security.
“We formed the association with the objective of promoting the Kikuyu culture, performing cultural activities and rites, and creating awareness in all matters of culture through education, art, literature and sports. We also want to work with both national and county governments and other stakeholders that share the same values," Charagu said.
He added that no member or leader had been summoned by Kiambu county security team over the issue or warned against convening any meetings.
Gwata Ndai member Waime Mburu said the association is an open forum and new members are not charged any fee.
“When we meet, there are no charges imposed on members, neither do we give offerings or burn a whole goat as claimed by some people. We do not compile a list of the people who come to our meetings. The only registered members are the seven people who started the group,” Mburu said.
The leaders said they first attend church before convening cultural meetings, and they do not discourage members from attending church.
“I'm a Catholic faithful and I first attend church before going for the association's meeting in the afternoon. Those spreading rumours are people who have never attended our meetings and do not know what we do," chairman Charagu said.
He said they have on several occasions invited Kikuyu elders to their meetings, which are also attended by religious leaders.
Charagu said the association and its leaders are ready to be probed to clear their names.
They also denied having other branches in several parts of Kiambu and Naivasha, saying they only meet at Hannah’s grounds in Ndumberi.
Mbugua wa Mumbi said he started visiting the association when he was sick with various ailments. He said he had unsuccessfully tried conventional medicine to treat his ailments, but he was advised by Mutaari (high priest) to eat traditional foods and now he is healed.
“I attended the meetings as they have been beneficial to me and my family. I realised that we stopped following our culture which is rich in so many ways, and we embraced the western culture which is ruining our bodies, minds, values and culture,” Mbugua said.
Edited by A. Ndung'u