Getting Endorsed by Elders: What It's Worth and What It Costs

An endorsement from respected elders is worth something real. It tells undecided voters that people they trust have looked you over, and it can persuade rivals to step aside. It also has a price: other elders may reject it, opponents will say it was bought, and any gift that looks like payment for it is a legal risk. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki's endorsements in 2026 showed both sides.

What happened at Kirigiti

On 19 September 2026 about 30,000 Gikuyu, Embu, Mbeere and Meru elders gathered at Kirigiti Stadium in Kiambu and endorsed Kindiki as the spokesman of a united Mount Kenya, the Star reported. Among the groups named were the Kiama Kia Ma, the Kikuyu Council of Elders, the Njuri Ncheke and the Kiama Kia Muembu.

At least one politician changed position because of it. Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku (Mbeere North) had been pushing a separate Mount Kenya East agenda. On 22 September 2026 he told Citizen Digital: "It is the wisdom of the elders who are the custodians of our heritage," adding that when they agree on a direction, "you should be able to listen to them."

The other camp answered within a day. John Methu (Senator, Nyandarua) of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) said on 20 September: "It is the people of the region who decide who should be the kingpin, not the elders," the Nation reported. Rigathi Gachagua, the former Deputy President, called the elders "fake" and compared the effort to "cutting a Mugumo tree using a razor blade".

A month earlier the same thing had happened on a smaller scale. On 22 August 2026 Embu's Nyangi Ndiriri elders rejected resolutions from a Kindiki meeting at Nembure that had named him Mount Kenya East leader, according to a news aggregator's report. So an aspirant who wins over one council should expect to hear from another. For the background, see Mount Kenya East's elders and their 2032 bet.

What an endorsement is worth

Older voters listen. In many wards the elders' view still counts when a family talks about how to vote.

Elders can also settle a crowded field by brokering who stands down, and they can do it more cheaply than a party primary. And once they have endorsed you, homes, churches and clan meetings open up.

The value drops in towns, among younger voters, and wherever the elders are seen as tied to one party. Endorsements are also local. When Birongo ward elders in Kisii backed Enan Osano for MCA in September 2026, as AllAfrica reported, they were making a ward-level choice, and ward level is where elders count most.

What it costs

1. Seek one council's blessing and expect a rival group to endorse your opponent.
2. If the endorsement follows a visible gift, people will call it purchased, whatever the truth.
3. The Election Offences Act forbids bribery and treating, meaning money, food or drink given to influence votes. A gift to elders timed to an endorsement can be framed that way. Read where the line on bribery sits and how treating trips candidates up.
4. Elders who endorse you will expect to be consulted once you win. Be honest about what you can promise them.

How to seek it properly

• Go through the council's own procedure and its secretary. Avoid the middleman who promises a quick endorsement.
• Put your plan in writing, in the local language.
• If you contribute to a cultural event, pay the organisers in the open against a receipt, record it as campaign expenditure, and keep the amount modest.
• Wait until your party's nomination is settled before asking for a ceremony. If the primary later goes against you, everyone is embarrassed.

The formal campaign period opens on 29 May 2027, but elders' meetings held before then still fall under the Electoral Code of Conduct, which has bound candidates since the election period opened on 20 August 2026.