Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has the watered down the National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi ahead of his coronation ceremony as Mt Kenya spokesman on Saturday, May 22.
In a statement, Waiguru indicated that Muturi needed to have consulted and got a consensus with leaders and the people of Mt Kenya before engaging in the enthronement.
"These ceremonies will not give him an upper hand because the people of Mt Kenya never had cultural kingpins and spokespersons until the colonialists came and installed the generally unpopular “paramount chiefs”," reads Waiguru's statement in part.
"Ultimately Speaker Muturi and others seeking votes from Mt Kenya and elsewhere will have to go to the ground and seek votes from the only legitimate determinants of leadership, the people," she added.
Further, Waiguru stated that it was wrong for anyone to inherit a seat when President Uhuru Kenyatta had not vacated it yet.
"Culturally, we don’t inherit one when they are still alive," she highlighted.
Andrew Ngirici, Kirinyaga Women Representative Wangui Ngirici's husband, termed the coronation as baseless, primitive and unconstitutional.
He accused the Speaker of diversionary tactics.
"He is a political greenhorn who is not worth of any serious attention. Muturi's assertation of being Mt Kenya’s kingpin is akin to taking a donkey to a horses race .
"Kirinyaga people do not need anyone to speak for them . We are our own people and our own voices . No one should purport to give us any direction," he stated.
On Wednesday, Muturi confirmed that he was participating in the cultural ritual that saw him remain in seclusion for eight days.
He noted that he was ready to take over the mantle as the next Mt Kenya spokesman after President Uhuru Kenyatta's retirement in 2022.
"There will be all forms of opinions but the idea is to be able to reach out to everybody through persuasion, consultation and discussion," he stated.
