Kahiga, Irungu lead Gikuyu delegation to mend fences with Maasai after slur » Capital News

NAIROBI Kenya, Feb 19- Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga and his Laikipia counterpart Joshua Irungu, led a delegation of Gikuyu Council of elders to Kajiado on Wednesday to apologize for a slur against Maasai community.

Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, while hosting the leaders in Kajiado County Offices, said had accepted the apology, stating the two communities have had good historical ties.

“Historically, the Maasai and the Kikuyu communities have had strong ties and we have accepted that a mistake was done and my colleague has apologized for It,” said Lenku.

Ole Lenku had demanded for an apology terming Kahiga’s speech at a burial in Laikipa as unwarranted, unfortunate and unprovoked stating that all people stating that the Maasai community can as well defend themselves.

“My colleague Governor Mutahi Kahiga of Nyeri must apologize to the Maa Nation for his unwarranted, unfortunate, unprovoked and demeaning slur against the Maasai Community at a burial in Laikipia County yesterday,” said Lenku.

Kahiga, a close ally of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, was caught up in the controversy after using an innuendo referring to the Maa community to highlight his severed ties with the Kenya Kwanza government.

Kahiga later apologized to the Maa community after a controversial comments saying, it wasn’t his intention to offend anyone, particularly members of the Maasai community whom he claimed have close ties with the Kikuyu community including shared cultural practices such as child naming.

“From time immemorial, when you look at many names, such as Wamaitha, you trace their origin from the Maa community, so I would like to say I’m sorry if anyone was offended by what we said yesterday. We did not intend to offend, condemn, or ridicule anyone,” said Kahiga.