Kikuyu elders pray for peace ahead of rally

Kenya: Kikuyu elders held prays at the Uhuru Park gardens to bless the grounds ahead of the anticipated rally by the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) on Monday.

The elders broke seven gourds as is tradition of the Kikuyu prayer, which they explained meant the prayers involved their long gone forefathers.

“We are doing this when the country is on the brink of chaos and this is not the first time we are holding these prayers. We were here when the country was dealing with the ICC cases,” they said.

The elders, who wore feathers in their heads and had smeared their faces with charcoal ash, insisted they did not want to talk about the Saba Saba rally but insisted theirs was a prayer for a peaceful nation regardless of tribe.

Speaking on behalf of the elders, Samuel Kamitha said there were two different groups of the elders. “We have another group of elders that is not here today. The other group is somewhere else in fasting that will go until 40 days are over. They are doing this for the sake of this country and for the sake of peace,” he said.

At the same venue a group of women by the name Kenya Women Peace Declaration was singing songs praising the need for peace in the country.

The group that has drawn members from all tribes in the country revealed that their intention at Uhuru Park grounds was to preach peace during and after the CORD Saba Saba rally and other rallies that will be happening in different parts of the country.

Jane Anyango a member of Kenyan Women Peace Declaration and the Kibera for Peace Awareness said:

“We preach peace not because of what we see in the papers and on television but for what we have experienced. Many women were directly affected in the last post-election violence and that is why we need people to maintain peace.”