Mungiki tax system for business, use of roads

By Standard Reporter

In some parts of Central Province, residents have submitted to Mungiki gangs, which have taken control of villages.

Unlike in parts of Nyeri and Kirinyaga where vigilantes have taken on Mungiki, in Murang’a residents have given in and submitted to extortion.

In parts of Murang’a South District, the situation resembles management by a Mungiki government. Bands of organised youths man most feeder roads, beginning from the main Murang’a-Makutano road.

Every vehicle leaving the main road and enters the interior is stopped at makeshift roadblocks and the driver asked to pay Sh50.

Police officers at a house that was razed after the owner, suspected to be a Mungiki member, was killed by vigilante gangs

This writer experienced this at the Karugia junction near Saba Saba town recently.

After turning into a murram junction at Karugia, a small, dusty shopping centre, four motorbikes manned by Mungiki youths blocked the car.

One youth in a leather jacket approached the driver, hooted and stretched out his hand.

"Ni hamsini mzee. Hii barabara inachungwa na Njaama," (You will pay Sh50. This road is manned by Njaama"( a nickname for Mungiki), he said.

The driver asked what the money was for. He was told it was for maintaining security along the road.

He said he had a Sh1,000 note and could he pay on his way back when he would have change.

But the ‘tax’ collector fished out Sh950 from his pocket, took the bank note and gave the change.

Later, we found another group of youths seated on motorbikes in the middle of the road. But they gave way and waved at us as we passed apparently having been informed via mobile phone that we had paid.

At the home that we visited, the owner appeared apprehensive when he was told we would spend the night. He said he was going to pay Sh50 more to the local Mungiki leader for the security of the car.

Frustrated villagers

Villagers, speaking in low tones lest they be heard by Mungiki informers, told us of an extortion ring by Mungiki gangs. Villagers are charged for any commercial venture, however minimal.

Residents of Karima Hill, Nyeri view the remains of two youths police suspect were killed by Mungiki members. The bodies were accidentally exhumed by workers putting up a mobile telephone mast. [PHOTO:STANDARD]

"Every shop and kiosk here is paying Sh20 a day. If you milk a cow, you pay Sh20 a day or give a bottle of milk," said a middle-aged woman who pays Sh20 daily because she owns an egg and milk kiosk.

Villagers are frustrated because the gangs operate with impunity and the authorities seem to have turned a blind eye.

"They don’t hide, we know them. I can show you their local officials. They come to my shop every morning to collect money," said a small shop owner at Heho, near Kaharati in Murang’a South.

In this area, some rich people have deserted their homes and relocated to Nairobi or other towns after the gangs started charging them monthly fees.

When we sought out one local chief to explain why the gangs were operating with impunity in the region, he pleaded with us not to mention his name and not to say he had spoken.

"I am helpless. If you do not want me killed please do not mention my name. There is nothing I can do so I leave them alone. We don’t have enough support from the police," said the chief in one of Murang’a South’s locations.

But he says wananchi on the ground are growing impatient and a bloody situation like that which erupted in Mathira, Nyeri, could be repeated.

"Wananchi are telling me we should do something like the people (vigilantes) of Mathira and Kirinyaga and I fear for what will happen if it comes to that," said the chief.

 

 

Read all about: Central Province Vigilantes Mungiki Kamuiru village Kirinyaga district kangaroo court Muranga

 

 

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