Njuri Ncheke split over claims of cleansing Kaimenyi from curse

A faction of Njuri Ncheke Council of Elders who claim they are allies of Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi have sparked a war of words after they denied claims that he paid a fine to be cleansed from a curse.

Addressing the Press in Meru town, the elders claimed the bull and Sh100,000 were donated by politicians they did not name, after sensing Prof Kaimenyi was headed for victory during the impeachment Motion in Parliament on Thursday.

The censure Motion was sponsored by Matayos MP Geoffrey Odanga.

Reached for comment, the CS said: “I do not want to be involved (in Nchuri Ncheke politics) any more.”

Imenti South MP Kathuri Murungi who was among those who lobbied to save Kamenyi said it was politically prudent for him (CS) to steer clear of the infighting in Njuri Ncheke.

“When he wishes to make any remarks, he will be better of if he speaks for himself,” said the MP.

But elders in the Phares Ruteere/Paul M’Ethinkia-led faction claimed that Mr Odanga was a hired gun and a section of Meru politicians had wanted Kaimenyi out for their own political expediency.

“They tried to use the Matayos MP to finish Kaimenyi. The bullet was fired by Odanga, but the gun was from Meru,” said Silas Gitije, an elder from Kaimenyi’s Imenti North backyard.

“We can authoritatively tell Ameru, and all Kenyans that the bull and Sh100,000 purported to be from Kaimenyi, was not from him. They have hatched a plot to finish Kaimenyi and other leaders from Buuri, Meru Central and Imenti North, but they will not succeed,” said Mr Gitije.

Benjamin Mugambi, the assistant secretary general of the Ruteere-led faction, asked all Ameru from Thuci in Tharaka Nithi to Ntonyiri in Meru, not to be duped that the CS had paid a fine. The elders claimed a section of politicians from Tigania, Igembe and Imenti South had hatched a plot to have leaders from Buuri, Imenti North and Meru Central, sacked from government.

“We are strong, and will make our strength felt in 2017,” said Gitije.

“The bull and the money were from the same people who have been plotting his downfall. Ameru should know the truth, that Kaimenyi had nothing to do with this,” said Mr Mugambi.

Isaac Mbogori who presented the bull and the Sh100,000 allegedly on behalf of the CS at Nchiru on Tuesday, however, said the Njuri Ncheke elders from the area contributed the “Mirongo Ithatu” fine on behalf of Kaimenyi.

Stephen Mworia, the Imenti North elders’ chairman, was categorical that the fine was not from Kaimenyi, but from leaders who had sensed his victory in Parliament.

If indeed the bull was genuinely from Kaimenyi, the elders would have slaughtered it and eaten the meat at Nchiru Shrine, but that did not happen, Mworia said.

Senator Julius Muthamia, said if Kaimenyi wanted to pay any fine, he would have presented it through his Gikindone clan and not Ntakira clan.

But Mbogori refuted all the allegations saying Mugambi and Muthamia had no right to speak on behalf of Kaimenyi because they hailed from Central Imenti and not North Imenti.

“This is a non argument because they cannot purport to speak on behalf of the CS. We paid the fine on his behalf as his North Imenti brothers because we care for his welfare,” he said.