Gema leaders should forget differences, embrace unity

The Kikuyu Council of Elders announced a few days ago that they are planning to hold a meeting later this month in Nyeri County. 

They spoke after a day-long meeting attended by local leaders, including Governor Mutahi Kahiga. The main agenda of the meeting, jointly organised by elders from other counties in Central region, is the unity of the community.

They also want to address the economic challenges facing their people. The elders will also use the meeting to take a common position on the Building Bridges Initiative. The other communities have been speaking in one voice, and they respect their political leaders.

If we look back to the history of our country, it is hard to champion and address the interests of a community when we are divided. For the first time, central Kenya has been infiltrated by politics of division and hatred.

The political groupings of Tangatanga and Kieleweke have left the community more divided than ever. This is the only region where this divisive politics is playing out. So I would expect our leaders to forget their political differences and work together.

To succeed, we expect them to first pass a resolution to respect President Uhuru Kenyatta and recognise him as the political leader of the Gikuyu, Embu and Meru communities.

This is not to say that Uhuru should become a tribal leader. He is president of the whole country and this is why I disagree with leaders who claim he has abandoned his community. If he channels all State resources to his community, he will paint a bad picture and leaders of other communities will not sit back and watch.

They will mobilise their people to rise up and demand their share of the national cake. It is clear that leaders ought to first seek the blessings and endorsement of their communities. Without this support, it is hard to reach out to others for support. This time, outsiders are being blamed for dividing the Kikuyu nation after managing to buy the loyalty of some of their leaders.

This is betrayal because the MPs who have agreed to be compromised rode on Uhuru’s popularity to win their seats.

The question of whether Uhuru will support Deputy President William Ruto in 2022 should not be used as an excuse because that is not the reason why the electorate turned out in large numbers to vote for the MPs.

They voted because the leaders promised that they would make their lives better. Notably, I have never heard the president state publicly that he will not support Ruto. But again, there is no law compelling him to do so.

Remember that former President Mwai Kibaki did not support any candidate. Uhuru is a democrat and he will pass the instruments of power to a person who will be elected by the people. I know he would love to be succeeded by a leader who will uphold his legacy of peace, unity, development and prosperity. He will make his position known when the time comes. 

Joseph Ndonga, Nairobi