The Nyakach Council of Elders says it will not take part in this year’s Nyakach Cultural Day, alleging that the annual event has been turned into a political platform.
The celebration is scheduled to take place on 14 August at Kasaye in Nyakach, Kisumu County. It is held annually to celebrate and preserve the community’s cultural heritage.
Speaking at the Nyakach Elders Development Group and Culture Centre in Katito, the council’s chairman, Mzee Ogongo Oyano, said the elders had withdrawn after learning that additional activities had been added to the programme.
He claimed the revised programme included a ceremony to endorse Trevor Ombija as a parliamentary aspirant for the 2027 General Election, as well as a women’s empowerment event.
“We cannot participate because the event no longer serves the purpose for which it was established,” Oyano said.
He said the council believed the changes undermined the cultural focus of the annual celebration.
Oyano said Kasaye had been due to host the event under the usual rotation, but argued that the inclusion of political activities meant the gathering could no longer be recognised as the official Nyakach Cultural Day.
The council has announced plans to organise a separate cultural celebration on a date yet to be confirmed.
“As custodians of our culture, we have a duty to protect its integrity,” Oyano said.
Another council member, Odera Alolo, said the elders had consistently kept politics separate from cultural activities.
“We have never allowed politics to be mixed with our cultural celebrations, and we will not start now,” he said.
The elders also said that any member of the council who attends the August 14 event, which organisers expect Finance Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi to attend, would be doing so in a personal capacity and not on behalf of the council.
Council member Paul Buodo urged political leaders to respect cultural institutions and avoid using community events to advance political interests.
“Our annual cultural gathering gives the people of Nyakach an opportunity to learn from elders, preserve traditions and pass cultural values to younger generations,” he said.
Oyano rejected suggestions that the council’s decision had been influenced by outside interests, saying the elders had acted independently.
“Our decision has not been influenced by anyone. We are simply providing direction as custodians of culture so that our community does not lose its traditions,” he said.
The organisers of the Cultural Day had not responded to the council’s claims at the time of publication.
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