Chinese Contractor Seeks Kikuyu Elders' Help to Uproot a ‘Mugumo’ Tree Hindering Construction of Sh14 Billion Highway

Kikuyu elders have conducted a special ritual in Sagana, Kirinyaga County to allow the uprooting of a fig tree that was hindering the construction of a highway.

A Chinese company that is building the Kenol-Sagana-Marwa dual carriageway was forced to seek the elders’ intervention after several attempts to cut down the tree failed.

Area residents insisted that the contractor must seek the indulgence of the elders before uprooting the tree that has a sacred significance among the Agikuyu community.

On Monday, the Kirinyaga Council of Elders embarked on a cleansing ceremony to appease the gods to allow the felling of the tree, which is commonly known as Mugumo. The area around the tree was used as a place of worship.

Led by the council’s acting Chairman Harrison Ndambiri, the elders slaughtered two rams, including one that is unblemished. The unblemished ram is burned to ashes while the other is consumed by the elders.

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Ndambiri said the ceremony was meant to appease forefathers and allow the construction work to proceed uninterrupted.

The elders also sprinkled the area with a ram’s blood and planted three trees beside the area, which they said would replace the shrine.

Elder Joseph Muriithi said the fact that smoke went straight up before circling the trees signified that the gods approved of the construction.

He indicated that the shrine has been in existence for over 600 years, adding that tales are told of people who were attacked by the gods for interfering with it.

The 84-kilometer Kenol-Sagana-Marwa dual carriage is being constructed at a cost of Sh14 billion.

The highway is expected to ease transportation and reduce traffic along the section of the road. It will be completed in June 2022 and will link the Northern Corridor from Nairobi to the Lapsset Corridor in Isiolo.

This is idol worship

per diem ya council of elders ilikuwa ngapi?

Thai ,thathaiya ngai Thai ,that is the right procedure to follow before you remove a mugumo tree ,may blessings follow the people of kirinyaga county.

You can’t pay elders young man ,it is a great privilege to even be accepted into the council of elders

After several attempts to cut down the tree failed. … Okuyu criminals looking for easy pay day.

If you don’t know the significance of this tree to the Agiikuyu community kindly STFU.
Even the mm rmzungu religion leaders (pastors and shekhs) can NEVER touch a mugumo tree.

Me thinks china man just made a humble request as a way of showing respect to other people’s cultures. The rest is exaggeration

They know the importance of culture and beliefs. That’s why the Chinese mind was never colonised by the white pig.

Look at us now…mara sio wig, gay chieth, and baptism names that are near absurd-hata pronunciation ni shida. Kizungu is the yardstick ya intelligence.

I feel pity.

Same

Si wango’e pia Ile iko Westlands

Significance my azz. you are the same fakaz who talk crap about luos and their culture. so you STFU.

Trees are highly regarded to the Agĩkũyũ. After buying a piece of land, a Mũgĩkũyũ first business is planting trees.

If you were hoping to sound intelligent it had the negative effect. You sound stupid.

I take that as a compliment. It means my comment has you in your feelings… I touched your soft spot…marinate in the feeling.

the reality is many mugumo trees are being destroyed as we speck in grabbed forest lands accross central … if the tree has that much cultural significance then alot has to be done to protect it

Enda Hong Kong kwanza

It’s actually mandatory to seek permission from the elders. The practice is that Migumo trees can be cut down but only after such ceremonies are conducted. A few shrines are however out of bounds.

Nonsense. Just like those who believe an owl is an omen carrier

:D:D:D:D:D:D
patriarchy is sweettttttttttttttttt banaeeee, then kila elder apewe 1 million each , direct orders from statehouse . tusipatie feminist nafasi hata ya kupumua, mmoja akionekana apewe sweep .

CC @TrumanCapote