UDA MPs Reject Kindiki’s Mt Kenya A section of UDA MPs has rejected Deputy President Kithure Kindiki’s recent installation as Mt Kenya’s political spokesperson, insisting that former President Uhuru Kenyatta remains the region’s recognised leader.
Ndia MP George Kariuki, Juja MP George Koimburi and Ndaragwa MP George Gachagua criticised the September 19 ceremony held at Kirigiti Stadium in Kiambu County, saying it did not involve all elders or receive the wider community’s blessing.
Speaking during a meeting with Kiama Kia Ma elders in Juja, the lawmakers argued that the selection of a regional kingpin should be a communal process rather than a political exercise.
Kariuki maintained that Uhuru Kenyatta, who assumed the regional leadership role in 2011, remains the leader they recognise.
“We only recognise Uhuru as the region’s rightful kingpin,” Kariuki said.
The MPs claimed the Kirigiti ceremony was organised hurriedly and without adequate consultation with elders from across the GEMA community.
Kariuki also pointed to the moment when Kindiki’s traditional headgear fell during the ceremony, interpreting it as a sign that the process had failed. That interpretation is the lawmakers’ political and cultural view, rather than an established fact.
Koimburi, who has been critical of Kindiki, questioned the Deputy President’s influence within the current administration and cited his absence from some government events, including President William Ruto’s recent tour of Nyanza.
The criticism comes after elders from Gikuyu, Embu, Mbeere and Meru communities endorsed Kindiki at Kirigiti and designated him as a unifying figure for the wider Mt Kenya region. Kindiki has defended the process, saying the decision was made by elders who have authority over cultural matters.
Kindiki also challenged his critics to question the elders who made the decision, saying reports indicated that about 30,000 elders from different clans attended the gathering.
The disagreement has now opened another chapter in the contest over political leadership and influence in Mt Kenya ahead of the 2027 General Election, with different leaders and groups presenting competing views on who should speak for the region.
