Did the gods reject Kindiki’s coronation as Mt Kenya kingpin?

By Newsflash Writer

When Deputy President Kithure Kindiki was installed as Mt Kenya’s political spokesperson at Kirigiti Stadium in Kiambu County on Saturday, September 19, the ceremony was presented as an effort to restore GEMA unity.

More than 30,000 elders drawn from 11 counties were said to have attended, with representatives of Kiama Kia Ma, Kikuyu Council of Elders, Kiama kia Muembu, Nyangi Ndiriri and Njuri Ncheke endorsing Kindiki and pledging to promote peace, reconciliation, patriotism and community unity.

Yet, beneath the cultural symbolism, the ceremony exposed the political difficulties surrounding Kindiki’s leadership bid.

The endorsement came amid efforts to counter the Mt Kenya East and Mt Kenya West narrative associated with Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku.

The elders declared their commitment to preserving GEMA unity, while a symbolic axe was returned, signalling what organisers portrayed as an end to attempts to split the mountain.

Kindiki himself called for unity, saying, “My friend, let’s preach unity and reach out to all elders and preach unity; we need to be one as Gema.”

But the political attendance told another story.

The event was also meant to reunite communities after years of political friction, and to demonstrate that GEMA’s decades-old coexistence could withstand competing political projects ahead of 2027 within the wider region.

Key heavyweights absent

Despite the significance attached to the event, several influential UDA leaders from Mt Kenya were conspicuously absent.

Apart from ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo, no other high-profile Ruto ally from the region appeared at the ceremony.

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki being installed as Mt Kenya kingpin at Kirigiti Stadium, Kiambu, on 19/09/2026. Photo/DPPS

Read more: Kindiki: I am in good health

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa, a central figure in President William Ruto’s Mt Kenya political network, was absent. Murang’a Woman Representative Betty Maina was also missing, alongside nearly all Ruto-aligned MPs from Nyeri, Kiambu, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua, Meru, Embu, Laikipia, Tharaka-Nithi and Nakuru.

The absence raises questions about the breadth of Kindiki’s political support. An elders’ endorsement still requires political actors and voters to recognise the authority being conferred.

The ceremony acquired an unexpected spiritual dimension when Kindiki’s traditional headgear fell during the installation. Elders retrieved it and placed it back on his head, giving opponents fresh political ammunition.

Wachira Kiago, chairperson of the Kikuyu Council of Elders, told Newsflash, “That is a sign of a bad omen.”

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua interpreted the falling headgear as rejection by the mountain’s gods. He argued that Kindiki and Ruku had failed to divide Mt Kenya and mocked the returned axe.

Gachagua said, “I have woken up to the happenings back home that the two mischievous characters assigned by Mr. William Ruto to divide the mountain have given up after the residents of the region rejected their attempts in total.”

He added that dividing Mt Kenya using Kindiki and his allies was “like trying to cut a Mugumo tree using a razor blade” and declared the effort “mission impossible.”

The real test begins after Kirigiti

Gachagua also claimed the elders had been paid Kshs. 3,000 each. Those are political allegations from an opponent, not established facts from the ceremony itself.

Kindiki, meanwhile, appeared determined not to engage in a public exchange. In what was viewed as a subtle response to Gachagua, he said: “Will not answer them any more, will stick to the mission, eyes on ball, hands on deck.”

The larger question is whether cultural endorsement can translate into political legitimacy.

Former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, a Mt Kenya political voice and Ruto ally, criticised Kindiki. While rejecting Gachagua’s political judgement, Kuria credited him with seriousness in fighting illicit brews.

“I disagree heavily with the political decision making of Rigathi Gachagua. He suffers from poor judgement. He has a history of making bad choices for the community,” Kuria said.

But he added, “Rigathi Gachagua was serious about fighting illicit brews in Mt Kenya region. The current holder of that office is not. This woman would not have gone through this pain.”

Kuria also questioned the choice of Kirigiti, saying, “Kirigiti is the symbol of our freedom struggles. It is the birthplace of the nationalist movement. It is the worst choice of venue for a divisive agenda.”