A heated dispute has erupted within the influential Njuri Ncheke Council of Elders after elders from Igembe South strongly disowned a rival faction led by Ramu Kathata.
They are accusing Kathata faction of misleading the Meru community and violating sacred Njuri traditions.
The elders, led by Chairperson Nicholus Baariu, made the remarks yesterday during a press address held at the historic Ngongoitumbi Shrine in Kilalai, a sacred venue for Njuri Ncheke functions.
Baariu and his council condemned Kathata’s recent move to join a rival group allied to Andriano Arujaru at Nchiru, claiming to represent Igembe Njuri Ncheke.
The elders firmly stated that their loyalty remains with National Chairman Linus Kathera and his secretary general Josphat Murangiri, describing any other leadership as illegitimate.
“We, the Njuri Ncheke from Igembe South, have faith in Mr Kathera. We will support him until his term ends. Our people from Igembe South who have aligned with that other group are individuals who have already been struck off Njuri. They no longer have any standing in the council, ” said Baariu
The elders insisted that the leadership of Njuri Ncheke is sacred and must be earned through customary procedures, especially the age-set system,a key pillar in Meru cultural governance.
Kinyua Ntoaruma, another senior elder, said the group being led by Kathata and Arujaru does not follow the traditional processes and has no legitimacy in the eyes of Igembe elders.
“The other team that has organized itself and said their chairman is Arujaru, we do not recognize it as Igembe South. Leadership in Njuri Ncheke is not taken by force or politics. It is given according to the traditions and the age-sets that guide our society,” said Ntoaruma.
The elders expressed concern that the ongoing divisions risk eroding public trust in Njuri Ncheke, a respected traditional institution known for guiding the Meru community in cultural, social, and even land dispute matters.
Speaking passionately, Elder Samweli Mpekethu called on both factions to embrace peaceful dialogue and avoid inflaming tensions among the Meru people.
“What they are saying out there shows they don’t understand Njuri. Njuri is not about war. We don’t use pangas, spears, or force. Njuri fights using cows and wisdom—through reasoned judgment. It’s time they calm down,” said Mpekethu
He added that the internal wrangles are affecting the community and distracting from development priorities.
“We need peace so that our governor can work, and the national government can support us as Meru people. We’ve wasted enough time with conflicts,” Mpekethu said.
The elders have urged both sides, the Kathera led group and the Arujaru aligned faction, to convene at the Nchiru Shrine, the council’s symbolic center, and resolve their differences through traditional dialogue mechanisms.
“The shrine is where Njuri decisions are made. Let’s meet and talk like Njuri should,”Mpekethu emphasized.
As the rift deepens, many in Meru are watching closely, hoping that Njuri Ncheke, the region’s moral and cultural compass can rise above internal politics and reestablish its unity and authority.
