Two factions of Kikuyu elders cleansed the Mukuruwe wa Nyagathanga shrine on Friday, June 4, a week after a ceremony was conducted to coronate the National Assembly speaker Justin Muturi as the Mt Kenya spokesman.
The two factions from the Kikuyu council of elders and Kiama Kia Ma, spent three hours at the shrine where they are said to have held prayers and performed a sacrifice in a bid to sanctify the shrine.
Dominic Njenga, who is the lead cultural priest, stated that the aim of cleansing the shrine was to cleanse it from anything unholy that could have been there.
He added that the ceremony was not targeting any specific individual but noted that there were cultural practices that were overlooked when Muturi was coronated.
"We wanted to make the shrine clean free from any spiritual and cultural contamination. There were so many people that accessed the shrine that should have not as they had not cleansed themselves," he stated.
Njenga noted that prayers and cultural activities would continue in the shrine following the cleansing.
Further, the elders cleansed a Mugumo tree which the elders will use to offer sacrifices. He noted that the ceremony was meant to bring elders from different factions together.
On May 22, 2021, the National Assembly speaker was coronated in the presence of elders from all regions of Mt Kenya.
The coronation followed an eight day seclusion in his house. During this time, he is only allowed to see a few elders who have undergone cleansing and only eats a special diet.
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.
The coronation was watered down by a section of Mt Kenya leaders including Kirinyaga Governor Ann Waiguru, Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria and Andrew Ngirici, the Kirinyaga Women Representative Wangui Ngirici's husband.
