Kikuyu Council of Elders (KCE) has revealed it is working on unifying all Mt Kenya leaders ahead of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s planned visit to the region later in November 2019.
Led by its National Chairman David Muthoga, the elders affirmed they were lobbying for a united region in a bid to ensure that the president’s tour does not abort.
Muthoga revealed that Uhuru will visit the region on November 15, where he will be expected to launch different projects and later join the elders for a traditional prayer session and rituals at the 100-acre shrine, at Kiambuthia, inside Mt Kenya Forest in Nyeri county.
And in a move to ensure the region speaks in one voice, the chairman announced they were working towards ensuring that the president finds a united region, which is currently divided between Tanga-tanga team (supporting DP Ruto) and Kieleweke team (supporting handshake).
The elders are trying to avoid similar scenarios in the past, where the president postponed his planned visits to the region owing to the alleged growing rebellion from pro-William Ruto’s group.
The elders were speaking during a thanksgiving ceremony for the shrine at the Mau Mau freedom fighters’ office in Nyeri town.
Recently, while in development tours to the region, Uhuru’s deputy, Ruto announced and confirmed the president’s visit saying it would be a political-cum-development retreat.
However, one factor still giving the elders a serious headache are reports that ODM party leader Raila Odinga will accompany Mr Kenyatta to the region.
According to the Daily Nation newspaper, Odinga’s spokesman Dennis Onyango has so far declined to confirm or deny Odinga’s planned presence.
Raila’s close ally from Murang’a County Kamau Mweha has, however, confirmed that the ODM boss will be present.
In May this year, Uhuru and Raila were forced to postpone their visit to the region in what political pundits interpreted as a response to the growing rebellion by some Central Kenya leaders, who have transferred their allegiance from the president to his deputy.
The president was to visit the region together with Odinga in a bid to popularise Building Bridges Initiative, BBI, that was formed following a political pact on March 9, 2018, between the two leaders.
Among the projects that Uhuru will be expected to unveil include the official opening of Othaya Level Six Hospital in Nyeri, (renamed Mwai Kibaki Teaching and Referral Hospital), commission 167-kilometer Mweiga-Watuka road among many other projects in the region.