Kaya elders tell politicians to keep off shrines

By LINAH BENYAWA

Kaya elders at the Coast have warned politicians against misusing sacred forests (Kayas) for selfish political gains.

The Council of Mijikenda Elders led by its Secretary General Mwanza Mwangiri Ndoro asked politicians to respect the forests.

“As the country gears for the General Election, we have seen politicians misusing the sacred forests. We are asking them to refrain from using the Kayas and keep the forests out of politics,” warned Ndoro yesterday.

He caution politicians to be on the look out for people passing themselves as Kaya elders, saying most of them were imposters out to profiteer from the forests.

Kaya forests are sacred shrines among the Mijikenda clans where elders perform various rites.

Due to their influence, Kaya elders have always been drawn into politics, with politicians seeking endorsement of their bids. This has often led to emergence of various groups claiming to be the genuine Kaya elders, with each camp dismissing the other as impostors.

Politicians often visit these forests to drum up support from ethnic Mijikenda clans. The elders drawn from all the nine Mijikenda clans who spoke at Kaya Kambe in Rabai District of Kilifi County, said the forests are sacred and should be treated as such.

Ndoro warned that they would soon hold a meeting to name and shame ‘fake’ Kaya elders. “Kaya forests are sacred and they need to be respected. The purpose of the forests is to ensure that the Mijikenda traditions are observed and should not be associated with politics,” he added.

He also cautioned the Kaya elders to shun politicians who want to use them for their political gains.