Rituals: Kaya elders conduct prayers to protect Sonko

Elders from the Kaya Kinondo in Kwale County  on Saturday conducted special prayers to protect embattled Governor Mike Sonko from 'external aggression'.

The elders said Sonko is being hounded because they are jealous of him and threatened to curse anyone who wants to harm him or his political career.

A curse from the Kaya elders can only be undone by the elders themselves.

"Governor Sonko is our son. We raised him here in Kwale. We protect our children. That is why we will curse anyone who tries to harm our son," said Abdalla Mnyenze.

He is chair of the Mijikenda Council of Kaya Elders.

The elders on Saturday retreated to the Kaya Kinondo in Msambweni where they offered the special prayers.

Dressed in their traditional Kaya regalia, the about 30 elders went deep into the sacred parts of the Kaya Kinondo shrine, while the women folk danced to sacred songs while waiting for the return of the elders.

The elders were dressed in black and red caps, and wrapped themselves with white and red shawls.

They said tycoons who had been benefiting from corrupt deals in the Nairobi county government in the previous regime are now suffering because Sonko has closed the 'taps'.

"Sonko has blown the whistle on many corrupt deals in Nairobi. Now everyone is afraid of him because they do not know what Sonko has on them. That is why they are fighting him," said Julius Saha, the Mijikenda Council of Kaya Elders patron.

They called on President Uhuru to help protect Sonko from the 'enemies of Nairobi'.

"Just as you have been adamant in fighting corruption, so is Sonko. You need to protect our son," said Mwaviko.

Sonko was early this week questioned by EACC officers over cheating claims regarding the self-declaration forms he submitted in 2017 while vying for governorship.

His appearance at Integrity Centre was punctuated by confrontations between police and his supporters.

Kaya Elders are known for their strict adherence to the sanctity of their prayers.

They are usually approached to solve issues that affect the community like droughts, famine and disasters.

Their prayers are believed to be powerful by the Mijikenda community.