SOURCES OF AUTHORITY AND INFLUENCE OF COUNCILS OF ELDERS IN KENYA WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO NJURI NCHEKE OF MERU COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Many communities in Kenya have recently witnessed a cultural and religious revival, and they are employing all possible means to propagate this revival. In some communities, there is a revival of ethnic rites, religious rituals and customs. Nationally, there are efforts to preserve and promote ethnic cultures. On the fore front of the revival of cultural consciousness are Councils of elders. Such councils are treated with respect, honour and reverence as the custodians of these cultures and religious beliefs. An example of a council of elders is the Njuri Ncheke of the Ameru. Generally, there is a resilience of African traditional religion in Kenya as exemplified by the Njuri Ncheke. The Njuri Ncheke council of elders has been resilient in the face of modernization, and in the context of a dynamic society with a modern judicial system, new constitutional laws and new religious structures. In spite of this apparent resilience of Njuri Ncheke in Meru County, there has not been any systematic investigation to unearth the phenomenon. The broad objective of this study, therefore, was to investigate the contributions of councils of elders to the resilience of African traditional religion and in particular, the Njuri Ncheke of Meru County. The study was informed by functionalism theory of religion as understood by Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons and Robert Merton. This was a qualitative study that sought to describe and analyse the resilience of African traditional religion in Kenya with Njuri Ncheke as a case. The findings of the study are significant in making an important contribution to better understanding of councils of elders in Kenya, understanding the role of religious and indigenous institutions in devolved system of governance, the basis of their influence and authority and their rightful place in a modern dynamic society.