Mt Kenya Elders Endorse Kindiki as Spokesman, Declare Mountain Will Not Be Divided

KIAMBU, Kenya, Sep 19 — Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has been endorsed as the Mt Kenya Region spokesman as more than 50,000 elders gathered in Kiambu and resolved to keep the mountain united.

The elders, drawn from communities across the Mt Kenya region, formally handed Kindiki cultural instruments of power during the meeting, signalling their endorsement of his role as the region’s spokesman.

The gathering was marked by a series of cultural rituals centred on unity, reconciliation and the preservation of the mountain’s shared identity.

The elders resolved that Mt Kenya would not be divided, rejecting calls for the region to be split along community lines.

As part of the reconciliation ceremony, three goats were shared to symbolise unity among the Gìkùyù, Embu and Meru communities.

One goat represented the Gìkùyù, another the Embu and the third the Meru, with the ritual intended to reinforce the historical and cultural ties binding the communities around the mountain.

The elders also returned an axe that had featured in the cultural proceedings, declaring that the clamour to split the mountain was over.

The return of the axe was presented as a symbolic gesture of reconciliation and a commitment to preserve the unity of the Mt Kenya communities.

The elders said the mountain should remain a shared cultural and historical symbol rather than become a source of division among the communities.

Kindiki’s endorsement followed the cultural rituals and gave him a recognised role as the spokesman for the region in engagements involving its communities and elders.

The Kiambu gathering comes as political and community leaders intensify engagements ahead of the 2027 General Election, with the question of Mt Kenya’s political unity and leadership expected to remain a major issue in the region.

The elders’ resolution and Kindiki’s endorsement now provide a fresh platform for discussions on the region’s political representation, cultural identity and unity.

The meeting brought together thousands of elders in a highly symbolic display of solidarity, with the reconciliation rituals providing the central message of the gathering: the mountain remains united.