Kindiki embarks on Mt Kenya unity mission after Kirigiti endorsement

NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 21 – Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has pledged to heed the call by Mt Kenya elders to unite the region, promising to engage leaders and communities across the mountain in a reconciliation drive ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Kindiki said political differences among leaders should not be allowed to spill over into communities with shared historical, cultural and economic ties.

He said he had accepted the responsibility handed to him by elders at the Kirigiti Stadium gathering in Kiambu County, where representatives of the Gikuyu, Embu, Meru and Mbeere communities endorsed him as the region’s spokesperson and called for an end to political divisions.

“I have heard you and I will do so as directed,” Prof Kindiki said, signalling the beginning of what he described as a sustained effort to promote reconciliation and cohesion across Mt Kenya.

The Deputy President said elders had a special role in preserving community unity because they were not competing for political positions.

“A community is formed by its elders, not politicians. When you leave the community to politicians, they will start dividing people because they are competing for political seats. Elders have nothing to gain. They are looking for peace for all generations of the community,” he said.

He urged leaders to respect divergent political views while ensuring disagreements did not become a source of hostility among residents.

“We must respect our elders. If you have an issue, seek out the elders and discuss it with them,” he said.

The remarks mark an early attempt by Prof Kindiki to translate the endorsement at Kirigiti into a region-wide political and reconciliation campaign.

At the weekend meeting, elders representing several Mt Kenya organisations declared their commitment to preserving unity among the Agikuyu, Ameru, Aembu and Ambeere communities and mandated Prof Kindiki to represent the region’s interests and aspirations.

They also rejected attempts to divide Mt Kenya into separate political blocs and called on communities to maintain a common voice on matters affecting the region.

Prof Kindiki has since taken the unity message to Mt Kenya East, combining political outreach with inspections of Government projects.

He inspected works on the Mukothima-Gaciongo-Gatunga Road in Tharaka Constituency, Tharaka Nithi County, before addressing residents at Gaciongo Market and Matiri Market.

The Deputy President has sought to link the unity campaign to development, arguing that political leadership should focus on improving livelihoods and ensuring the region benefits from Government programmes.

The elders’ intervention comes amid renewed political activity in Mt Kenya, where competing groups are seeking to shape the region’s political direction ahead of the 2027 elections.

The push for unity also follows recent efforts to promote a separate Mt Kenya East identity. At Kirigiti, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku symbolically returned an axe that had been associated with calls to divide the region, while elders handed him a flywhisk.

Prof Kindiki has repeatedly opposed attempts to create an East-West political divide, arguing that the communities share longstanding ties and common interests.

The elders have also urged the region to provide a conducive political environment for President William Ruto and Prof Kindiki, while calling for peaceful political engagement ahead of the next General Election.