On Sunday, a group of Kikuyu traditionalists damaged a flag allegedly flown at the top of Mount Kenya in 2019 to represent the LGBTQ community.

The organization has been accumulating money to climb the mountain and remove the flag allegedly representing the LGBTQ community for the past month under the name Booi wa Kirira Kia Mugikuyu, loosely translated to "the gathering for Kikuyu culture."

On Friday, April 7, around ten climbers headed up the mountain. They returned on Sunday, April 9, carrying the flag allegedly set ablaze in Naromoru, Kieni East Sub-county, Nyeri County.


Elder Kikuyu performed purification ceremonies after the event.

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They said that the burned-out flag's ashes would be dumped into the river that empties into the Indian Ocean.

The group claims that raising the flag, purportedly for the LGBTQ community, atop Mount Kenya desecrated the Kikuyu people's most sacred site.

According to Kikuyu tradition, Mwenenyaga, their god, resides on Mount Kenya. Praying while facing the mountain is a Kikuyu ritual.

According to Kimani Charagu, a founder of Booi wa Kirira, "It is an insult to Gikuyu believes for members of 'this' community to desecrate our Supreme Altar by raising their flag on Kirinyaga (Mount Kenya)."


We were determined to lower the flag and then carry out purification rituals prescribed by our sages.

Another group member, Ngarau Njonjo, who was part of the crew that scaled the mountain, claimed that removing the stated flag and performing the associated cleaning ceremony sends a clear message that the community would not be used as a dumping ground for "all manner of alien practices."

The treasurer of Booi wa Kirira, Murugu wa Kimari, claims that their organization serves to preserve both the holiness of Mount Kenya and Kikuyu culture.

The author of a book about Kikuyu culture, Murugu, said, "Our people should halt and ask themselves why all these horrible things are occurring in the society, including unexplained killings nearly every day.

It is a blatant sign that Mwenenyaga is unhappy with us.