Deputy President Kithure Kindiki with elders at the solemn Mt Kenya elders assembly at Kirigiti Stadium, Kiambu County, where he was endorsed as the Mt Kenya spokesperson. The battle for political influence in Mt Kenya took a new turn on Saturday after a section of elders from the region endorsed Deputy President Kithure Kindiki as their spokesman and called for unity behind President William Ruto.The endorsement was made at the historic Kirigiti Stadium in Kiambu County, where elders from the Gikuyu, Embu and Meru communities gathered for a meeting aimed at restoring unity in a region whose political loyalties have come under strain ahead of the 2027 General Election.In a declaration signed by representatives of Kiama Kia Ma, Kikuyu Council of Elders, Njuri Ncheke, Kiama Kia Muembu, Ngome and Nyangi Ndiriri, the elders said Prof Kindiki would represent and advance the interests and aspirations of the Mt Kenya region.“We hereby endorse and mandate Prof Kithure Kindiki to serve as our spokesperson and representative in advancing the interests and aspirations of the Mount Kenya Region,” the elders said.The elders also endorsed the Ruto-Kindiki administration, saying the two leaders had contributed to development in the region, particularly in infrastructure and agriculture.They singled out investments in coffee, dairy and tea, sectors that remain important to the livelihoods of millions of people in the region.“We affirm our support to President William Ruto and Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki in their efforts to promote peace, development, economic growth and prosperity for our people and for the nation as a whole,” they declared.Also Read: The axe and the altar - 50,000 Mt Kenya elders gather to save political marriage“As President William Ruto’s helper in uniting Kenya and moving our country forward, I will continue to defend and represent the interests of our region of Mount Kenya,” said Prof Kindiki.The meeting was also marked by a cultural ceremony in which Prof Kindiki was endorsed and handed instruments of power by the elders.Deputy President Kithure Kindiki during the solemn assembly of Mt Kenya Elders at Kirigiti Stadium, Kiambu County.Three reconciliation goats were shared, one each for the Gikuyu, Embu and Meru communities, in a symbolic gesture intended to reinforce the message that the mountain should remain united.The axe, which had become a symbol of the campaign to split Mt Kenya into East and West, was also returned to the elders.But former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, an ardent critic of the Ruto administration and self-styled Mt Kenya political supremo, was quick to dismiss the event, terming it a futile move and urging the elders to give back the axe to Prof Kindiki and Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku to hand it to Dr Ruto.“Mr Kithure Kindiki and Mr Geoffrey Kiringa Ruku have thrown in the towel, not because they want the unity of the mountain, but because they have miserably failed,” said Mr Gachagua.He added: “Having failed to divide Mt Kenya into the imaginary West and East, the mountaineers are aware of new efforts to divide the former Central Province. This too will fail. Our people are too intelligent to fall for such innuendos,” Mr Gachagua said.Saturday’s declaration by the elders placed considerable emphasis on unity, recalling the historical, social, economic and cultural ties binding the Mt Kenya communities.The elders said political divisions, ethnic stereotyping and internal rivalry could undermine social cohesion, economic wellbeing and the region’s future prosperity.They also invoked the region’s history of supporting national leadership, listing the administrations of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta, as well as the support given to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua when he was President Ruto’s running mate in 2022.“I salute our elders. We have been one community in matters of politics, business and culture. Why should we be divided by political differences now?” the DP said.Also Read:‘Recognise Kindiki as spokesman’ - Ruku sets Mt Kenya East -West unity conditionHe added: “It does not matter whether a leader comes from Nyeri, Kiambu or anywhere else; we have been together, and we have to safeguard our unity.”The elders described Prof Kindiki as the latest senior leader from the region to occupy the country’s second-highest office and as the bearer of Mt Kenya’s political aspirations.They further called on the region’s communities to participate in peaceful political activities and provide President Ruto and Prof Kindiki with what they described as a conducive political environment in pursuit of Kenya’s long-term national interests.The resolution represents a significant development in the contest over the political direction of Mt Kenya, particularly as competing groups seek to influence the region ahead of the 2027 election.The gathering followed weeks of consultations between elders from Mt Kenya East and West.
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