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Sumilani Amidzi! (May Peace be with us!)

Funavoya Madzo! (We pray for blessings!)

That was the opening prayer of the Kaya Fungo Elders who met on 28th February 2023 at Gotani, just outside the Kaya Fungo Forest Reserve and shrine. They were meeting outside the forest to avoid confrontation with the youth who had staged a coup last year and taken over the running of the shrine.

The meeting deliberated on the current condition of the forest, the steps to be taken to bring normalcy to the management of the forest/shrine and the resumption of project activities that were suspended last year due to the conflict. 

The activities of the youthful group inside the forest had reduced as they concide with the political activities towards the Geenral Elections in the country. This is the time political candidates seek the blessings of the Elders in order to win elective posts. The interest with the forest wanes immediately after the elections until the next electoral cycle. During the period in which the youth took over the management of the shrine, no rituals were performed. The elders attributed the delays in rains, excessive heat and misfortunes in the community to the lack of rituals. Cleansing rituals were also necessary as the youth who had been managing the forest and shrine had no knowledge and authority to do so.

The elders sort a permanent solution to this cycle and resolved to establish a stronger partnership with the local community, the National Museums of Kenya and the devolved government of Kilifi County in order to re-establish the status of the Elders in managing the Kaya Fungo shrine. This was the guaranteed traditional path to bring the community to undertake actions to protect and restore it. A series of consultation meetings were planned in the month of March and April 2023 to consolidate local and other partner support.

The Elders resolved to prioritize the consolidation of the local and political support before resuming other project activities. The pending project activities include sensitization on local-led climate change adaptation and mitigation actions and the distribution of sample wood fuel energy saving cookstoves.

The elders sort suport from well-wishers to facilitate their quest to consolidate their authority as the legitimate custodians of the shrine and find lasting solution to the cycle of confclits associated with political campaigns.