Embu Council of Elders distances itself from meeting endorsing Kindiki

The council’s chairman, Andrew Ireri, said the elders associated with Nyagi ya Ndiriri were not bona fide members of the council and therefore lacked the authority to make declarations on behalf of the wider elders’ fraternity.

Ireri said the meeting could not be considered an endorsement because it did not involve all recognised elders, insisting that the council cannot support resolutions or political declarations made without its participation.

"We come here to oppose and say that the meeting at Nembure ulikua na wasaliti. Watu walagai....kupora pesa, na ni pesa ambayo sisi tunatoa kodi. Tunaskia wengine walipewa Ksh.2,000 na wengine Ksh.5,000. Walikuwa wanadanganya watu," he said.

He further alleged that some of the elders involved in mobilising the meeting had received money, but claimed the funds did not reach all the elders who were expected to participate.

Ireri also questioned the choice of Nembure Stadium, describing the ground as sacred and saying that serious matters affecting the community should not be overshadowed by gatherings whose agenda, according to him, does not address the immediate concerns facing the people of Embu.

The Nembure meeting came against the backdrop of growing political discussions within the wider Mt Kenya region over who should provide political leadership and speak for the community ahead of the 2027 General Election.

A previous meeting of elders from the region had also generated debate over the political direction of Mt Kenya, with questions emerging over whether the community should rally behind Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and whether the region should maintain a united political front.

The latest meeting at Nembure sought to build on those conversations, with participants from several counties reportedly backing Kindiki as a possible spokesman for the region.

However, the declaration has now triggered a fresh disagreement among the elders, with Nyagi ya Ndiriri insisting that no group can claim to speak for the entire Embu community without broader consultation.

Ireri said elders must be careful not to make political declarations that could create divisions within the community.

He also rejected calls or discussions around dividing Mt Kenya into East and West, describing such proposals as unnecessary and warning that they could further fragment the region.

The chairman maintained that elders have a responsibility to protect the unity, culture and interests of the community rather than become instruments of political mobilisation.

The dispute now places the question of who has the legitimate authority to speak on behalf of Mt Kenya elders back at the centre of the region’s increasingly intense political debate.