Governor Mwangi wa Iria has said he will organise a cleansing ceremony of Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga shrine, following the coronation of National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi.
The governor who addressed journalists shortly after the coronation ceremony said that it was wrong for the speaker to continue with the ceremony despite continuous calls by various quarters discouraging him.
He said the rituals conducted as the shrine could have negative consequences and that they have to be undone as soon as possible.
The governor who has publicly condemned Muturi’s plans to be coronated as the spokesperson of the Mt. Kenya region said the speaker was misled by ‘cultural brokers’.
“So today they came with the police because we said we would not allow the ceremony to go on at the shrine and they chased away locals and women. We are afraid that the things they have done could have unknown consequences” the governor said.
Wa Iria further called upon members of the community to work with him as he leads plans to cleanse the shrine.
“I am asking as many members of this community to come out and condemn the soiling of our place of prayer,” wondering why the ceremony was devoid of both political and religious leaders.
The governor said he had communicated with a host of political leaders who were equally perturbed by the happenings, among them Nakuru governor Lee Kinyanjui.
He said he would have stormed the site and stop the ceremony were it not for the heavy police presence.
“I avoided the site because I did not want fights. They brought the police so that they could blame it on me if fights broke out but we have said because we do not what could come out of the rituals they did, we will sit with elders and plan a cleansing ceremony,” he added.
The governor also called out on churches to pray that bad omens will not befall the county for allowing the ceremony to happen.
Muturi was coronated in a highly guarded ceremony that saw over 1,000 elders from several counties congregate at the shrine.
But the ceremony was shrouded in controversy as leaders of the various councils of elders distanced themselves saying cultural procedures were not followed.
Kikuyu Council of Elders Chairperson Wachira Kiago and his Kiama Kia Ma counterpart Ndung’u Gaithuma said the ceremony was political and should not have been conducted at the shrine and that they would have to cleanse it soon after.
But elders who spoke during the ceremony said Muturi’s coronation as the spokesperson would heal the divisions that have split the region politically.
Professor Peter Kagwanja said the elders had congregated in search of a king and not a politician.
“Never again have we done what we have done here today in the manner that we have done it. It brings to the conclusion a long journey that started in Meru, went to Mbeere and Embu, and is nowhere. We are looking for a person to whom we can go for counsel,” he said.
Kung’u Muigai, Kiama Kia Ma national patron on his part said the shrine is under the custody of the National Museums of Kenya that has an understanding with the elders to take care of the shrine.
“When we came for the ceremony, we used like Sh. 500,000 to prepare the site. We came here to pray. We are not involved in politics and do not take political affiliation. We stand with the President and nobody else. Our work is to preach peace,” he said.
The speaker on his part said he would honor the authority given to him by elders by serving the region in the best way possible. The speaker pledged to visit the elders in all parts of the region to foster peace.