The elders forming the Njuri-Ncheke are carefully selected and comprise mature, composed, respected and incorruptible members of the community.
The Njuri Ncheke is also the apex of the Meru traditional judicial system and their edicts apply across the entire community.
However, Njuri Ncheke does not handle matters involving non-Meru people, or those that are expressly under the Kenya's common law.
[1] A lesser known, yet important function of the Njuri-Ncheke, is the overseeing and enforcing the rules and regulations controlling the use and conservation of open grasslands, salt-licks and forests.
The Council of Elders spearheaded the establishment of the Meru College of Science and Technology and donated 641 acres of community land in 1983 for its siting and development.