This archive report was first published on 16 September 2019.
On September 16, 2019, the construction of the Kianyaga - Githure road in Kirinyaga County was halted due to a sacred Mugumo tree standing in the way.
The contractor was forced to stop the construction of a section where the tree stands until elders perform a cleansing ceremony to enable its felling.
The local community demanded the same, fearing that without the ceremony, a calamity may befall them.
According to Kirinyaga East Deputy County Commissioner Moses Gicharu, the elders have been contacted to perform the final rights before the tree is felled.
Recently, a similar ceremony was carried out at Kerugoya town by Kikuyu elders to wade off any bad omen from striking the residents.
The Kianyaga - Githure road has been delayed for more than three years since President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered its construction in 2014.
Locals have welcomed the progress of the road that connects rural Kirinyaga to rural Embu at the Kibugu village.
James Muriuki, a coffee farmer from Ngiriambu village, said he is now assured his produce will get to the market on time.
