By BRIAN MUSYOKA
The Catholic Church in Embu County has differed with political leaders over growing calls to have the Mt Kenya region split into two political voting blocs, with the church warning against efforts that could divide communities along regional lines.
Embu Catholic Diocese Bishop Peter Kimani has urged political leaders to prioritize unity, dialogue and peaceful coexistence, cautioning against rhetoric that could create unnecessary hostility and divisions among communities and leaders.
Speaking during a church service at St Peter’s Cathedral in Embu yesterday, Bishop Kimani warned politicians against utterances that could create enmity, urging them to embrace dialogue and focus on issues that bring people together rather than those that deepen divisions.
The bishop’s remarks came as political leaders from Mt Kenya East continued to push for the region to be allowed to chart its own political course, separate from Mt Kenya West. Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire, however, strongly defended the push, dismissing claims that calls for Mt Kenya East to establish an independent political voice amount to a tribal agenda.
Speaking at Revelation Church in Embu town, Mbarire said Mt Kenya East has a democratic right to determine its own political direction and should not be accused of promoting tribalism simply because it is seeking greater political autonomy. She argued that leaders and residents from Mt Kenya East have for years supported political leaders from Mt Kenya West and should now be allowed to articulate their own political interests and positions without being accused of dividing the broader Mt Kenya community.
Mbarire also took issue with Runyenjes MP Muchangi Karemba, who has opposed calls for an independent Mt Kenya East voting bloc, accusing him of misleading residents on the issue. The governor maintained that the debate should be viewed as a question of political representation and autonomy rather than a tribal contest.
The push for a distinct Mt Kenya East political voice has gained momentum, with its proponents arguing that the region should be free to make its own political decisions while remaining part of the broader Mt Kenya community.
Embu Senator Alexander Mundigi said Mt Kenya East has grown politically and called for respect for Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki, whom he described as the region’s political supremo.
Political leaders backing the position have also insisted that Kindiki, who hails from Tharaka Nithi County in Mt Kenya East, should be accorded respect as the region’s senior political leader and that the East should be allowed to independently determine its political stand.
The growing disagreement has now placed political calls for greater autonomy against the Catholic Church’s appeal for unity, restraint and responsible political rhetoric, as Mt Kenya positions itself ahead of the 2027 General Election.
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