Kikuyu council of elders praying at Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga shrine. The elders lashed out at Kiambu speaker Stephen Ndicho for criticizing the prayers. [Photo|the-star.co.ke]
Kiambu county assembly speaker Stephen Ndicho has found himself in trouble with Kikuyu council of elders for criticising prayers at the Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga shrine.
The council's national chairman, Wachira Wa Kiago said the speaker is a leader and he should be careful of making utterances that can destroy the community.
Ndicho had said that the practice is outdated and should be abandoned by the community adding that as Christians, they should stop praying at the shrine.
Kiago, speaking on Wednesday at the Kasarani offices, said it is wrong for Ndicho to criticise customs that bring members of the community together adding that the December 31, 2017, prayers were meant for a peaceful and united country.
“The speaker should know he is a leader and some utterances can destroy the community. The prayers were held long before Christianity came. Praying at the shrine as a community is our way of entrenching unity among us.”
“The Kikuyu elders he is criticising are also Christians. We go to church. Cultural practices and religion should complement each other. The speaker should think twice before making reckless statements to the public,” he said.
He urged the community to ignore sentiments made by the speaker adding that leaders who abandon their culture are destined to fail.
Speaker Ndicho had said that all the old rituals should be forgotten and that the country does not need them.
“The council of elders and all traditionalists in Kenya should spare Kikuyus and other Kenyans from old ritualistic sojourns as they serve no spiritual fulfilment at all.”
“As Christian believers do we really need to travel to Mukuruwe Wa Nyagathanga to ostensibly pray to Mwene Nyaga - the ancient god of the Kikuyus? I don't think so,” Ndicho said.
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