Embu elders have complained that their highly publicised mass meeting on Saturday will be disrupted by Deputy President William Ruto’s meeting very close to their venue.
They have been forced to cancel their annual convention.
The Nyangi Ndiiriri Council of Elders said on Wednesday that they had mobilised thousand of members for their convention at Karurumo market.
The site is a stone's throw from 'where the DP will officially open the Runyenjes Technical Training Institute.
Elders chairman Andrew Ireri and secretary Patrick Kamwega said their elaborately planned convention would focus on peace, unity and development.
They plan to slaughter two bulls and cook 100kg rice and other food for the ceremony.
Ireri said they were unhappy that some county leaders scheduled Ruto's visit that with clash with theirs.
“We are disappointed that some leaders have fixed Ruto’s visit for the same venue with ours and on the same day,” Ireri said.
He said the Deputy President’s visit has disrupted and spoiled their meeting and they were not even invited to the places Ruto will visit.
“We learnt about Ruto’s planned visit from church announcements where we have not been invited and so we will not attend his meetings,” Ireri said.
He said the governor, the senator, elders and stakeholders should have been involved in inviting the DP.
Elders said they were not opposed to the DP’s tour and would like to meet him io explain why they visited his Karen home in 2016. They said that they had wanted an appointment to instal him as an elder, but he was not home.
Their buses were turned back at the gate, though they had sought an appointment with the DP through a letter to senior government officials in Embu.
Runyenjes MP Eric Muchangi said that on Saturday the Deputy President will tour the area, open the training institute in Karurumo, the Kyeni Divisional Headquarters at Kathanjuri and lay the foundation stone of NICA Rukuriri Day Secondary School.
Diocese of Embu Bishop Paul Kariuki told worshippers during mass at Kitololoni Catholic Parish last Sunday that Ruto will worship in Embu this coming Sunday.
(Edited by V. Graham)
