The governor said he will not allow the shrine to be desecrated saying he will be held responsible.
The ceremony has elicited sharp reactions from political and cultural leaders.
Image: Alice Waithera
Just hours to the controversial coronation of speaker Justin Muturi, Murang’a governor Mwangi wa Iria has vowed not to allow the ceremony to occur inside the Mukurwe Wa Nyagathanga shrine.
The governor has said it is his responsibility as the county chief to guard the Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga shrine, the proposed venue, and protect it from desecration.
Wa Iria told journalists that though Muturi has the right to have the coronation conducted, he should have done it away from the shrine that is considered the cradle of the Agikuyu community.
“People want to install themselves as communal leaders and do it at the cradle of the community. That is wrong,” he said.
The governor said no other national leaders have held political functions at the shrine and vowed to use all his might to ensure the event does not happen inside the shrine.
“Julius Gikonyo Kiano, Kenneth Matiba, Charles Rubia and even the President himself kept off the shrine because they respect it. Those who held similar ceremonies sought other venues,” he added.
He said the speaker is putting a stranglehold on his neck culturally and putting the county at the centre of his political conflicts.
The governor further noted that the speaker should have encouraged the deeply split councils of elders to sit down and resolve their differences before holding the coronation ceremony.
“Now they say they will come with the police so that the ceremony is not disrupted. Bringing police officers to a shrine is unheard of,” Wa Iria said, adding that he will continue to guard the interests of the community until his term is over saying if he allows it to be desecrated, he will be held responsible.
But woman representative Sabina Chege shrine said as the cradle of the community, it is a home to all and nobody should be shielded from accessing it.
The MP said Muturi has been endorsed by other communities such as the Meru and Mbeers and that there is no harm in having the coronation at the site.
“There is no need to have conflicts over the matter. Being coronated does not necessarily mean he becomes the leader of the community,” she said.
Chege however called on the councils of elders to come together and handle their issues in unity.
She said the shrine has been lying in abandonment for a long time yet it should be attracting both foreign and domestic tourists.
The coronation ceremony that is being spearheaded by a section of leaders has elicited sharp reactions from political and cultural leaders, with some strongly opposing it while some opine that he befits the role of the regional spokesperson.
Kikuyu council of elders Wachira Wa Kiago has said the shrine is reserved for cultural and prayer ceremonies saying that the speaker risks attracting curses by holding a political ceremony at the site.
But Murang’a County Kiama Kia Ma Kiarie Chombou said the speaker has been taken through rituals that cannot be made public to ensure he is the right choice and to prepare him for the role.
The elders further noted that they settled on Muturi after vetting several political leaders. The speaker, they said, had an unspoiled history and showed capacity to be the voice of the region.
The decision was aimed at quelling political divisions being experienced in the region currently and ensure it approaches the next elections as a front.
Earlier, protests organised by youths led by nominated MCA Stephen Chege ended in disarray after police arrested the MCA over lack of a permit.
The MCA was later released on police bond.