A group of 30 specially selected Agikuyu cultural priests are set to conduct a cleansing ceremony of the holy Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga Agikuyu shrine in Murang’a County at the weekend.
In a joint statement, Kikuyu Council of Elders and Kiama Kia Ma said the cleansing will be conducted by the special cultural priests on Friday and thereafter there will be prayers of the community and the country at Mumbi grounds.
In the statement signed by KCE national chairman Mr Wachira Kiago, the elders said they had notified the police and the provincial administration over the two functions which they say will end by 2:00pm on Friday
The cleansing comes two weeks after National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi was crowned the spokesman of the Mt Kenya region in a colorful ceremony conducted at the shrine – considered holy by the Agikuyu community.
Prior and after the event sections of elders from KCE and Kiama Kia Ma denounced the ceremony and warned against holding a political function on the holy ground saying it was an abomination and desecration of the revered shrine.
KCE secretary general Peter Munga said the shrine is not open for political activities and is only used for prayers and cultural ceremonies.
In spite of the protest the event organized by the patron of National Council of Elders Capt. (Red) Kungu Muigai went ahead with the ceremony where after undergoing elaborate cultural rites Muturi was crowned the spokesman of Mt Kenya region.
Elders opposed to the event and who had the backing of Murang’a County governor Mwangi Wa Iria immediately dismissed the ceremony as of no consequence and announced that they would be conducting a cleansing ceremony to purify the grounds.
Kungu on his part has defended the ceremony saying they did nothing wrong and that the shrine belongs to all members of the Agikuyu community who need nobody’s permission to conduct a ceremony.
He said the grounds had been unkempt and that his team spent nearly Sh500, 000.00 to prepare it for the Muturi coronation.
