Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni has defended President Uhuru Kenyatta against attacks over his decision to invite a group of Mt Kenya leaders to State House, Nairobi.
Uhuru on Saturday had a meeting with a group of about 3000 elders from the Mt Kenya region.
"How comes having Kikuyu elders at the State House is tribalism but having elders from Turkana and Isiolo is not?" he posed on Tuesday.
Kioni said that Mt Kenya elders are honoured that President Uhuru had given them the privilege to get to the State House.
“A lot of elders had been saying that they have never seen the State House," he said.
He further said that the Kikuyu elders have not been to the State House since the days of the first President Jomo Kenyatta.
“Kumbuka pengine ni wakati wa Jomo Kenyatta kule zamani ndio tuliweza kuingia Ikulu na njia hii. Lakini jamii zingine zote zimekuwa zikitembea Ikulu wanakula maankuli,” Kioni added.
Loosely translated as, “Remember maybe it was during the days of Kenya's first president the late Jomo Kenyatta that elders last had the privilege to visit the State House. But other tribes have been there and had dinner.”
The Ndaragwa Constituency MP added that Uhuru has made it possible for the Kikuyus to be respected just as they respect other tribes.
Uhuru's meeting with Mt Kenya elders has degenerated into a war of words after reports emerged that Uhuru said Ruto wanted him impeached.
The president is said to have revealed that his decision to work with Raila came after the DP wanted to topple him out of office.
The remarks attracted criticism, especially from leaders allied to Ruto, who dismissed the statements as false.
The elders who attended the meeting were from Kiama Kia Ma, the Kikuyu Council of Elders and some elected leaders.
