Monday, July 18, 2022 – Azimio presidential flagbearer Raila Odinga is as good as the next president of Kenya.
This is after the Agikuyu elders broke the infamous 1969 Oath that prohibited the community from voting for a president from outside the Mount Kenya region; something that has haunted Raila for many years.
In a meeting held in Kiambaa yesterday, the Kiama Kia Ma and the Council of Elders declared that the community was free to elect leaders from whatever part of the country.
Kiama Kia Ma Chairperson Ngungu Gaithuma explained that the election of the late Mwai Kibaki, had already defied the oath and the dreaded consequences did not happen.
“Among the declarations was that the presidency would not go beyond River Chania. We have seen it go beyond and saw the consequences (positive and negative) but we are withdrawing that oath today,” Gaithuma stated.
In addition, the elders lifted an embargo that curtailed the level of interaction not only between the Agikuyu and other tribes but also between ‘major’ and smaller tribes in the region.
The leaders asked the community to shun leaders who were using the oath to propagate negative perceptions of presidential candidates, stating that they were secluding the community from the rest of the country.
“The elders ask the Agikuyu to disregard all ill-intention persons, practices, policies, and politics designed to divide and deviate them from the common good,” stated the elders.
The move is a big boost for Raila and his presidential bid, considering he is banking on President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Kikuyu community to win the election come August.
On the other hand, the move by elders spells nightmares for Deputy President William Ruto, who was banking on the entire Mt. Kenya block to win the August polls because Kikuyus can now vote for Raila without any repercussions.
For nearly four decades, leaders from the region have honored the oath, with the ODM leader bearing the brunt as his opponents who fiercely campaigned against him.
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