Gatundu South Member of Parliament, Moses Kuria, is a man who never shies from controversies. The self-declared Mount Kenya kingpin is always firing salvos at his political nemesis regardless of their positions.
Kuria, who is serving a second term as a Legislator, is under siege after his comments on a post-colonial oath taken by Mt Kenya region rattled Kenyans.
The MP made the comments during a rally in Gatundu, Kiambu County, alleging that the oath taken in 1969 was binding and that it did not allow the Mt Kenya region to support leaders outside the area. He went ahead to warn the residents against voting for Azimio La Umoja's Raila Odinga as the fifth President.
On Friday night, March 18, the MP went to his Facebook page to explain his comments, reiterating that the region cannot back candidates from certain areas due to their traditional beliefs.
The MP claimed that the community can only back Raila if President Uhuru Kenyatta and leaders from Mt Kenya bring the community together to undo the oath that was administered in 1969.
"In 1969 when you are under siege, you rallied 300,000 Kikuyus to take an oath - at a fee - binding them never to elect a (redacted) person. 50 years later, without calling for another oath to undo the first one, you unilaterally make an about-turn and expect the whole community to follow you.
"... there was everything wrong with the 1969 oath and the community elders should hold a ceremony to unbind the community from that oath and for closure. But this has to be a community issue and we cannot trust you to play with the emotions of our community willy-nilly," the MP stated.
Kenyans, led by Kieni Member of Parliament Kanini Kega, expressed shock, anger and disgust at the comments by Kuria.
"MK when you were in the hospital, you should have taken advantage of the Bunge medical cover to undergo a Full Medical check-up. Again, in 1969 my friend you were not even conceived," Kega commented.
ODM Secretary General, Edwin Sifuna, also called out Kuria and digital strategist, Dennis Itumbi.
"Moses Kuria is the posterchild of hate speech and ethnic contempt. That he has never been held to account for any of his previous transgressions is an indictment on National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC)," the ODM secretary-general stated.
Details of the oath were shared by Rev (rtd) John Gatu. He recalled that on June 9, 1969, the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta - Kenya's first President, summoned him to his Gatundu home and informed him that the Gikuyu people were to take an oath.
“To our great surprise and horror, the visit had nothing to do with my sermon,” Gatu writes in his newly-published memoir, Fan Into Flame. “It was summons in disguise. We were expected to take a Gikuyu oath, which was being administered to 'all Gikuyu of goodwill', ostensibly to solidify the unity of the tribe.”
“Of all the things and of all the places, this was the last thing we expected to come from the lips of one we had come to love so dearly, our President,” Gatu recalled in the memoir.
In the book, Gatu revealed unknown details on the infamous mass oath ceremonies in Gatundu, including allegations that scores of people were unlawfully confined at Kenyatta’s home in Ichaweri and forced to undergo the ghastly ritual.
On March 2, 2022, an article by Taifa Leo indicated that Uhuru's cousin Cpt (Rtd) Muigai Kung'u had revealed that GEMA had taken an oath in 1969 to never allow the Jaramogi Odinga's bloodline to ascend to the presidency.
According to the article, Muigai had allegedly stated that those who had taken the oath should be cleansed before supporting Raila Odinga else they will face the wrath of their ancestors.
Speaking to the press yesterday, Kung'u clarified that Uhuru was about 8 years old when the oath was taken and he was not involved in any manner.
